


Family Life

by Dragon_MoonX



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Cover Art, F/M, Family Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-09
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2018-05-25 15:39:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 39,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6201016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragon_MoonX/pseuds/Dragon_MoonX
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's more to life than being a Snatcher. Join me for a look into the married life of Scabior as he raises his daughter, takes her to work with him, sings her to sleep, and still finds time to spend with his wife at the end of the day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Picture Books & Kisses

 

It was a hot midsummer night. The crickets were still singing in the fields as the first traces of dawn's early morning light began to slowly creep over the treetops.

Scabior was awake before dawn, packing a few of his belongings and preparing to leave for a couple days.

Being the leader of the Snatchers often meant that Scabior had to leave home for an extended period of time while he was out tracking muggleborns. Sometimes he was home every evening. Other times he would be gone for several days.

As Scabior finished packing the supplies he'd need for work he heard the sound of footsteps softly padding across the floor. He looked towards the doorway and saw his four year old daughter standing outside the door, dressed in her soft pink nightgown and holding her plush unicorn in her hand.

"Daddy?" she softly murmured, rubbing sleep from her eyes with a tiny hand. "Are you leaving?"

Scabior sighed and rolled his eyes. "Not this again."

Every time he left for a couple days his daughter would always cry and create a scene, wanting him to stay home with her and Draconius. He hated seeing her upset as she clung to him and wept, but he had to go to work to support his family.

He was in hopes of leaving early enough that Melody would still be asleep when he left. But it didn't look like that was going to happen this morning.

"Yes, sweet'eart," said Scabior, turning to face his daughter. "I'm leaving. Daddy 'as to go to work."

"How long will you be gone? Are you gonna come back, daddy?"

Melody's biggest fear was that her father wasn't going to come home. To her the days he spent away from home felt like years, and there were times when she thought Scabior would never return.

"I will be gone as long as it takes for me to finish my job," said Scabior.

"Daddy, no. I don't want you to go," Melody whined. She ran to her father's side, grabbing a handful of his leather jacket and clinging to him as tears began pooling in the corners of her blue-grey eyes.

"Go back to bed," said Scabior, tugging the corner of his jacket out of his daughter's grasp. "You're going to wake your mum."

"But I'll miss you, daddy. I don't want you to leave."

"I know tha, sweet'eart," said Scabior, bending down and gently stroking Melody's soft brown hair. "But I 'ave to go to work."

Melody's eyes were brimming with tears as she sniffled and whimpered. She looked so much like her father, her long hair escaping the confines of her ponytail to hang in strands across her face. No matter what her parents did her hair remained just as wild and unruly as her dad's. But it was in her eyes where the strongest resemblance could be seen. And looking into her eyes made Scabior feel almost like he was looking at a mirror image of himself.

There were some subtle differences, though. Her hair lacked the crimson streak that her father had. Her facial features were also more like her mother's. And when she frowned or pouted she could scrunch her face into the exact same scowl her mother wore whenever she was angry about something.

And speaking of her mother...

"What's going on out here?"

Scabior looked up from his daughter to see Draconius enter the room, barefoot and clad in her ruby colored bathrobe.

"Daddy's going away," Melody sobbed. "Make him stay. Mummy, please don't let daddy leave us."

Draconius took a few steps forward, bent down and picked up her daughter. "Sweetie, you know daddy has to work," she said softly to the crying child, trying her best to comfort her.

"B-but I don't want him to go," Melody sniffed, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

"He has to, sweetheart. And you know he'll be home soon."

"But I'll miss him."

Draconius held her daughter, gently rubbing her back as she held the little girl over her shoulder, Melody's head cradled in the crook of her neck. "I'll miss him too, Melody. And I'm sure he'll miss us too."

"Are you going to leave too, mummy?" Melody asked.

Sometimes when Scabior went to work Draconius went with him, using her healing skills to patch up Scabior and his men when they were injured fighting with muggleborns who resisted being captured. Melody was then left in the care of Scabior's aunt who watched over her while they were away. But Scabior's aunt wasn't available to babysit because she was away visiting her relatives in Scotland, meaning that Draconius would have to stay home this time and look after her daughter on her own.

"No, sweetie. Mummy's staying home this time," said Draconius. "I'll be right here the entire time daddy's gone, and we can think of loads of fun things to do while we wait for daddy to come home."

Melody sniffled, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Daddy..." She turned her head, her lips pursed in a pout as she looked over at her father.

Scabior wiped away her tears with the corner of his plaid scarf. "I think you can survive a couple days without me. You're a strong little witch. You can be brave while I'm gone, can't you?"

"Scabior, we don't know if she's a witch just yet," Draconius reminded him. "She's too young to experience any sort of accidental magic at her age."

"She is a witch," said Scabior, smiling a little as he gazed down at his daughter. "Trust me on this, love. I can see it in 'er eyes when she looks at me. She 'as that same magical spark tha you 'ave. An who knows? She may end up snatching with 'er dad one day when she's older."

"I don't know, Scabior. Are you sure you want our daughter living that kind of life? And it probably wouldn't be safe having her around Greyback."

"None of my men would lay a 'and on 'er. Not if they know wha's good for them."

By now Melody had quieted down a little, finding comfort in listening to her parents talk. She was too young to understand any of it, though. The war, the Snatchers, the Dark Lord. All of it had little to no meaning to her. And it was probably better that way, because it meant that she didn't have to be burdened with the same concerns her parents had.

To her the Snatchers were just a bunch of men her father was friends with. Sometimes one or two of them would come over to their house to visit and have a couple drinks with Scabior. Other times they would come with news about the war.

Once, Scabior tried bringing Melody out for his men to see when they came over. But she was shy, staying back and hiding behind her father's jacket as she avoided the stranger's gaze. One of Scabior's men joked about it later, saying that she didn't take after him because she wasn't out trying to flirt with people of the opposite sex.

"Well, you'd better get going, Scabior," said Draconius, rubbing and patting her daughter's back in an effort to keep her calm. "And don't worry about Melody. She'll be alright. I'll take good care of her. You know I will."

Scabior smiled. "I know, love." He kissed Draconius on the cheek. Then, right before he was about to turn around and leave, an idea came to him.

He removed his plaid scarf, wrapped it around Melody's neck and draped the excess fabric across her shoulders.

"Take care of this for me while I'm away, Melody," he told her. "An know tha as long as you wear it, I will always be close to you."

\---------------

Later that morning at breakfast, Draconius began discussing ideas with Melody on how they were going to keep themselves occupied while Scabior was away.

"Something we can do while daddy is away is drawing and coloring," Draconius suggested. "I know you like making pictures. We could draw something nice as a present to surprise daddy with when he comes home."

Melody looked up from her bowl of cereal. "What kind of drawing, mummy?"

"How about a picture book? We can make a book showing all the things we'll do while your father is away. Then, when you miss your father and want to know how long until he comes home, you can look in your book to see where we are in the story and that'll tell you how soon he'll come home."

A smile spread across Melody's face. "That sounds like fun, mummy."

Draconius smiled back at her daughter. "Wonderful. We'll get started on the book after breakfast."

After breakfast was over and Draconius had cleared the dishes from the table and charmed them to wash themselves in the sink, Draconius set a stack of parchment on the kitchen table along with some quills and a bottle of ink.

"Alright sweetie, let's start with pictures of what we do in the morning," she said, dipping the quill in the ink and handing it to Melody. "What do we do in the morning after breakfast?"

"Play with kitty!" Melody said happily.

"That's right. Then what do we do next?"

"Water the plants in the garden."

"Anything else, sweetie?" Draconius asked.

Melody was already drawing a picture of herself playing with her mother's cat on the parchment. "We get washed up for lunch?" she asked.

"That's right. Good thinking, Melody."

Before long Draconius and Melody had several sheets of parchment showing the various activities they would be doing in the coming days while they waited for Scabior to return. Draconius then lightly tapped the sheets of parchment with her wand, magically binding them together and creating a book, which delighted Melody to no end as she took the finished book from her mother.

They took the book over to the couch and sat down. Saros, Draconius' five year old black cat, strolled up to her owner and rubbed against her leg.

"Look mummy," said Melody, pointing at the black cat. "Kitty wants to look at the book too."

Draconius gently stroked Saros' back, and the cat jumped up onto the couch, purring happily.

Together the family settled down and got comfortable, with Saros lying across Draconius' lap and purring contentedly as they began to look at their new book.

Later that night as Draconius was putting her daughter to bed, Melody asked if she could look at her book one more time before she went to sleep. Draconius got out the picture book, and Melody was quick to point out the drawing of her mother sending Scabior her patronus.

"Mummy look. You said I could talk to daddy before bed. Can I tell him goodnight, mummy?"

"You can tell him whatever you want, honey," said Draconius, withdrawing her wand from a pocket in her dress.

\----------------

Elsewhere, several hundred miles away, Scabior sat on the dry dusty earth, his back against the trunk of a large pine tree. A campfire was crackling a few feet away and the skies above were clear, showing thousands of brilliant twinkling stars between the gaps in the forest canopy.

Most of his men had already retired to their tents for the evening, leaving him by himself in front of the fire. He was just about to go to bed when he looked up and saw a silvery light flittering across the evening sky.

The ethereal form of a tiny shimmering fruit bat came down from the sky, trailing minute flecks of blueish light like stardust in its wake. It landed on the earth in front of him, folding its wings and looking up at him with what appeared to be a smile on its face.

Scabior leaned forward, cocking his head to the side as he looked at it with interest and mild curiosity. He knew this was his wife's patronus, but he didn't know why she had sent it to him.

The fruit bat opened its mouth and the sound of his daughter's giggling laughter filled the air.

"Daddy! Hi daddy, it's me!" The silver bat waved at him. "I miss you, daddy. Mummy says I can talk to you and tell you goodnight. Sleep good, daddy. I love you!"

The next voice that came out of the patronus belonged to his wife.

"Good evening, Scabior. I hope you are well this evening. Melody just had to speak with you before bed, so I decided to conjure my patronus and send it along with a message from the both of us."

The silver bat flew up and landed on Scabior's shoulder. It turned its head and kissed him on the cheek.

"And that is a little gift from me," said Draconius' voice as the bat spoke. "Come home soon, dear. I love you."

The glittering patronus dissolved, fading away into the night, leaving Scabior with a smile on his face and a feeling of warmth and love in his heart.

"I love you too, pet," he murmured softly, gazing up into the heavens above. "I'll be 'ome as soon as I can."

\--------------

When Scabior came home from work a few days later, he found his wife and daughter outside in the front yard. Melody was helping her mother in the garden when he returned, and she immediately dropped the basket of fresh mint she was carrying and ran towards her father as soon as she caught sight of him walking up the path.

"Daddy, daddy! You're home!" Melody leapt into her father's arms as he bent down to pick her up.

"'Ello, sweet'eart," said Scabior, smiling at his little girl. "Did you miss me?"

"Yes, daddy. I missed you lots and lots. But me and mummy got to play and do lots of fun stuff. We made a picture book too, daddy."

"Oh really?" Scabior looked over at his wife. "Sounds like you two ladies 'ave been rather busy while I was away."

Draconius, who had taken out her wand and used it to return the scattered herbs to the basket her daughter dropped, picked up the basket and walked over to her husband.

"It's good to have you home again, Scabior," she said, wrapping her arm around him and placing a kiss on his cheek. "It's better to kiss you in person instead of through my patronus."

"An it's better to receive a kiss from you in person," said Scabior. He then leaned over and whispered in her ear, "We can do a lot more than snogging once my aunt comes back an we 'ave a proper babysitter, love."

Draconius smiled at him as they started walking towards the house. It was good to have him home again, and now their family was whole once more.


	2. Daddy's Little Snatcher

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In 2015, this chapter won first place in the Bring Your Child to Work Day competition on the Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenge Forum.

He knew his wife wouldn't approve of the idea. She wouldn't want their four year old daughter exposed to something like this at such a young age. But after seeing his daughter cry every time he left to go to work, Scabior decided that there was only one thing that was going to make Melody happy.

"Do you want to go to work with daddy?" Scabior asked.

There was a brief pause, just long enough for Scabior to brace himself for what he knew was coming.

Melody's blue-grey eyes widened. She drew in a deep breath and screamed in sheer delight the way all little children do when they're excited about something.

The sound was so high pitched and loud that it hurt Scabior's ears. He recoiled slightly, blinking as he leaned back in his seat, watching his daughter squeal and clap her hands as she jumped up and down.

"Yay! Thank you, daddy! Thank you!" Melody cried happily. She ran to where her father was sitting at the kitchen table and wrapped her arms around his leg, hugging him the only way she could since she was too little to reach up higher.

Scabior laughed and lifted her up, sitting her on his lap and putting an arm around her. He knew he'd done the right thing. Her smile was enough to tell him that.

"I'll take you to work with me first thing tomorrow morning," he said. "We'll just tell your mum tha we're going out for a play date."

Now of course Scabior didn't plan on actually taking his daughter snatching with him. It would be too dangerous for a child that young to get involved in such an activity. Instead, he thought it would be safer to take her out to the woods where he'd set up camp and show her what his worked consisted of by letting her snatch one of his men.

She probably would see his work as a game, like playing chase through the woods. Which was essentially what it was. The only difference was that this game carried with it the risk of serious injury, as well as a monetary reward for a job well done.

The next morning after breakfast, Scabior left with Melody, telling his wife that he was taking their daughter out on a play date.

"'Old onto my 'and, Melody," Scabior told his daughter as they walked outside. "Stay close to me. An wha'ever you do, don't let go."

She had never experienced side-along apparition before. And as her little fingers closed around his hand, he made sure to hold her tight. He wasn't going to let anything happen to his little girl.

The squeezing sensation she felt - that constricting tightness that began in her chest and quickly spread throughout the rest of her body - was over just as soon as it began. But the lingering effects made her dizzy and slightly sick to her stomach.

"Daddy..." Melody moaned softly when they reached their destination. "My tummy feels yucky."

"It's alright, sweet'eart," said Scabior, rubbing her back to help her through the nauseating after effects of side-along apparition. "You're alright. It'll wear off in a minute."

When she felt better they began to walk. It was only a short distance from where they had landed to the Snatcher's campsite.

Since it was still fairly early, there were a few Snatchers sitting around the campfire finishing their breakfast as Scabior entered the campsite with his daughter walking along beside him. One or two of his men were busy cleaning out their tents. However they all stopped what they were doing as soon as they noticed the little girl holding their leader's hand.

One by one each of them turned, their attention drawn towards the girl. Most of them had never seen Scabior's daughter before, and they looked at her with curiosity, wondering why their leader had chosen to bring his daughter out into the woods.

"Hey boss," one of the Snatchers said. "Is that your little girl?"

"Yes, this is my daughter Melody," said Scabior, beaming with fatherly pride. "She's always wanted to come to work with me. So today I thought I'd bring 'er 'ere an show 'er 'ow it's done."

Melody stayed close to her father, shying away from the others as they came over to get a better look at their leader's child.

"Wait a minute," said that same Snatcher who had spoken earlier, a man by the name of Isaac who had asked if this was Scabior's little girl. "You're not seriously suggesting that we take her snatching with us, are you?"

"No, of course not," said Scabior, sounding fairly annoyed with Isaac's stupidity. "We're going to make a game out of it. One of you gets to run while she tries to snatch you. You got tha?"

There were murmurs and nods from the men in his group.

"Good." Scabior was about to continue speaking when he saw movement from the back of the campsite. A tent flap was pushed aside, and Greyback poked his ugly head outside the tent.

The werewolf sniffed the air, picking up on Melody's scent. He stared at her, growling low in his throat as he licked his lips, his mouth watering at the smell of her young delicate flesh.

Scabior quickly drew his wand, aiming it at Greyback.

"You stay out of this, Greyback. I don't want you coming anywhere near my daughter!"

"Daddy," came a scared little voice to Scabior's right. "Is he a bad man? Why is looking at me like that?"

Scabior couldn't help but find some humor in her question, seeing as how they were all "bad men." But under these circumstances he refused to laugh, his wand still aimed at the werewolf who was drooling over his daughter.

"Your daughter?" Greyback grolwed, sounding somewhat disappointed. He knew when a meal was off limits and decided to slink back into his tent, muttering something under his breath about having to look elsewhere for his lunch.

"Disgusting mongrel," said Scabior, watching Greyback disappear behind a flap of canvas as he retreated into his tent. "I've always told 'im 'is face could frighten small children." He then motioned for Isaac to come over.

Isaac set aside his empty plate from breakfast and walked over to where Scabior and Melody stood.

"You are going to be Melody's play mate for today," said Scabior. "All you 'ave to do is run an my daughter will try to snatch you."

Melody grinned, looking up at the tall man with sandy hair standing next to hr father. "I'm going to get you. Me and daddy play chase all the time. Daddy taught me how to be a good Snatcher."

Scabior then put a hand on Isaac's shoulder and steered him away from the rest of the group. He lowered his voice, making sure his daughter couldn't hear him as he whispered in Isaac's ear.

"You are to run slowly an let 'er snatch you. Don't try too 'ard to get away. She's only a little girl, so you 'ave to make this easy for her. An make a big deal out of it when she snatches you."

Isaac glanced over his shoulder at Melody. It was just a simple game, but he knew that if he messed up he was likely to find himself on the receiving end of Scabior's Cruciatus curse.

Scabior lead Isaac and Melody off into the woods. A couple of his men went with him, not wanting to miss the show that was about to begin. It wasn't every day that they got to see one of their fellow Snatchers running from a four year old girl.

Scabior took them out to a level clearing in the forest. He didn't want his daughter to accidentally trip and fall while running over rough terrain. So he chose this spot, where the ground was mostly bare with only a few small pebbles and twigs scattered across the earth. It was the perfect place for Melody to try snatching for the first time.

Isaac started off at a slow jog, hoping that wouldn't be too fast for Melody. The little girl ran behind him, laughing as she tried to catch up to him. All the while her father was watching nearby, leaning with his back against a tree and his arms folded across his chest.

Melody was quick, but it wasn't easy for a four year old to chase after a grown man. Her little legs weren't fast enough to keep up with him. And it wasn't long until her breathing became heavy and ragged as she ran to catch Isaac.

When Scabior noticed his little girl lagging behind and struggling to catch Isaac, he slipped his wand out of his pocket and discreetly fired a hex at him, casting the hex silently to avoid being noticed by the others.

The hex struck Isaac in his left foot, causing him to tip and go sprawling across the ground on his belly. Melody took a flying leap, soaring through the air and landing on top of him.

She wrapped her arms and legs around him and happily cried out, "I got you, I got you! I win!"

"Very good, Melody," said Scabior, smiling as he turned towards his men. "Isn't she wonderful? Tha's my little girl! I'm so proud of 'er."

Taking a cue from their leader the others began to clap and cheer with realistic enthusiasm.

Isaac looked up from where he lay on the ground, feeling slightly dazed from his fall and wondering what hit him. He saw Scabior slip his wand back into his pocket then mouth the words, '"I'm watching you."

Melody rolled off Isaac's back and onto the ground, laughing as the Snatcher raised himself up onto his hands and knees.

"Again!" she cried. "Let's do it again!"

"Go on then," said Scabior. "Get a move on, Isaac."

Isaac knew he had to try harder to do a better job this time. He was lucky that all Scabior had done was trip him. Next time he might not be so fortunate.

He got up and started to run, slower this time. Every now and then he'd glance back over his shoulder at Melody and say something like, "Oh no, the Snatcher is going to get me!" Or "Someone help! There's a Snatcher after me!"

A wide grin spread across Scabior's face as he watched Isaac's performance. This was more like what he had in mind, and it pleased him to see how much Melody was enjoying herself as she chased after Isaac.

Isaac slowed his pace as Melody got closer, still making a show out of it as he exclaimed, "She's getting closer! Please, wont someone help me?"

"I'm gonna snatch you!" And with that Melody pounced on him.

Isaac pretended to fall, collapsing to the ground in slow motion. Scabior started to laugh, and another round of cheers went up around him.

\-----------------

Melody was asleep in her father's arms when he returned home later that day. Draconius opened the door for them, standing aside as Scabior carried their daughter to her room.

"Looks like she wore herself out," said Draconius, watching from the doorway of their daughter's bedroom as Scabior gently laid Melody down on her bed.

He drew the covers up to her chin and smiled. "Yes, she did." There was a slight pause. "Draconius, 'ow do you feel about our daughter becoming a Snatcher when she grows up?"

His wife carefully considered his question before answering.

"Well, it wouldn't be my first choice for a job for her. But I love her, and I will support her no matter what line of work she chooses."

"Thank you, love."

"Just as long as she doesn't choose to become a prostitute," Draconius added.

Scabior snorted and fought not to laugh. "Come 'ere, pet," he said, turning to her and smiling.

Draconius entered the room, and Scabior placed an arm around her as they stood side by side, watching their daughter sleep.

"She could be like me, you know," said Draconius. "She might want to be a healer when she grows up."

"Oh lovely. Tha's exactly wha I need is the both of you fussing over me, telling me tha I don't take proper care of myself."

"We only do it because we love you, Scabior."

"Tha's true. Just don't wear yourself out fussing over me all the time, or else you might make yourself ill. Then I'll be the one who 'as to take care of you."

"That would be a first. You taking care of me for a change."

"It could 'appen."

They continued their conversation in the living room, not wanting to wake their daughter while she slept.

Melody could become a lot of things when she grew up. She could be a Snatcher like her father, or a healer like her mother. But regardless of the type of work she choose, her parents would always love her and support her no matter where her choices took her in the future.


	3. Feeding Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Melody is a bit younger in this chapter. This chapter tells the story of how she got her plush unicorn.

No one ever said being a parent would be easy. Sure it could be fun and rewarding at times, but it could also be a challenge. Today's challenge was trying to get Melody to eat her lunch.

Scabior placed Melody in her highchair and was attempting to feed her a bowl of mashed bananas. But she was being fussy, dodging his attempts to feed her as he tried to coax her into eating.

"No!" she cried, turning her head away as he offered her a spoonful of fruity mush. "Me want mama!"

Scabior sighed in frustration. "Where is your mum? She should 'ave been 'ome from the store by now."

"No no no!" she wailed, kicking her feet in her highchair. In one of her tiny fists she held an orange stuffed octopus, which she was waving in the air as she pouted and cried.

"Settle down," said Scabior. He set the bowl of baby food on the kitchen table, seeing as how she clearly wasn't interested in eating right now.

Melody glared at him, her bottom lip sticking out in an angry pout.

"Now don't make tha face at me," Scabior told her. "You look like your mother when you do tha. Which is probably where you get it from, because I never threw a fit when someone tried to feed me."

Melody grunted, flinging her plush octopus at him. The stuffed animal hit Scabior in the head and landed in the bowl of mashed bananas, splattering her father with bits of banana down the sleeve of his jacket.

"Yay! Dada big mess!" she said, laughing and clapping her pudgey little hands in amusement.

Scabior had just about reached his limit when the fireplace in the living room flared to life. He looked over and saw his wife emerging from the fireplace, carrying several bags from her shopping trip.

Draconius couldn't help but smile at the scene before her as she entered the kitchen.

She set her shopping bags on the table. "What happened here?" she asked, picking up the plush octopus by one of its many legs.

The patched and faded toy was covered in gooey bananas. Here and there its stuffing was leaking out, falling in clumps from areas where the stitches were ripping open.

"I tried feeding 'er, but she refused to eat," Scabior explained. "An then she threw tha at me an 'it me in the 'ead with it."

Draconius shook her head and set the soiled plushie down on the table. She reached inside one of her shopping bags and came out with a brand new plush unicorn.

"Melody," she said, holding the unicorn up for her daughter to see. "Would you like a new toy to play with?"

The child's eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning. "Me want play!" she said, twisting around in her highchair and reaching for the toy.

Her mother withheld the toy, making sure to keep it out of Melody's reach. "You can play with it, but only after you let daddy feed you."

Scabior, who was busy cleaning the baby food off the sleeve of his jacket with a napkin, looked up when he heard this.

"Dada, me hungry," Melody cooed in her sweet little baby voice. "Feed baby."


	4. Baby's First Word

"I don't know, Scabior. I think she might be too young to talk. And don't you think you're trying to hurry her along too quickly? She'll talk when she's ready. You just have to be patient."

Scabior reached over and gently took his daughter from her mother's arms, holding her steady as he sat her on his lap.

"Wha are you talking about?" he asked, feigning innocence as a small smile crept across his face. "If she's ready to start calling me daddy then tha's 'er own decision. I'm not doing anything to speed up the process."

Draconius sighed and rolled her eyes.

For the past week Scabior had spent much of his time trying to teach Melody to say daddy. He was eager to hear her speak, and even more eager for her to start calling him daddy.

"You know, she could just as easily say mummy instead of daddy," said Draconius.

"Oh, I don't know about tha, pet," he said, sounding rather doubtful. "You said she was too young to start talking. It could be ages before she starts calling you mummy."

His wife hauled off and slapped him on the shoulder as he began to laugh.

"That isn't funny, Scabior!"

Melody paid no attention to her parents' conversation. She had her hand in her mouth, sucking on her thumb and forefinger as she gazed around the room. She then spied a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the table next to the couch.

By now Draconius was fed up with her husband coaching their daughter to say daddy.

"Melody," she said, trying to get her daughter's attention. "Can you say mama? Come on, sweetie. Say mama."

"No, sweet'eart. Say daddy," said Scabior. "You can do it. Say daddy."

Melody took her fingers out of her mouth. "Coo."

There was a long pause as her parents looked at her in confused silence, trying to figure out what she said.

"What did she say?" asked Draconius.

"I don't know," her husband replied. "But it sure wasn't daddy. It sounded like she said goo."

"Goo? But she says that all the time. All babies make goo-goo noises." Draconius sighed, looking somewhat disappointed as she leaned back in her seat on the couch. "Maybe she really isn't ready to start talking yet."

As they watched, Melody slapped the palm of her hand down onto the arm of the couch. She began wriggling and squirming in her father's arms, trying to maneuver herself towards the plate on the table.

"Wha is she doing?" Scabior asked as Melody uttered a soft whimper.

"Coo," she said again, still reaching for the plate. "Coo...key."

Scabior's mouth fell open in shock. "Did she just say she wants a cookie?"

"Coo-key!" Melody wailed, struggling to reach the plate of fresh, warm cookies on the table.

Draconius' face split into a wide grin. Her baby was talking, and she wanted a cookie!

"Aww, does baby want a cookie?" she asked.

"Keeyy..." Melody mewled. "Coo-key."

"I don't believe it," said Scabior, shaking his head in disbelief. "My own daughter chose a cookie over me."


	5. Adjusting To Changes

Ever since his daughter was born, Scabior had had to make some changes in his life. He had to adjust to life as a father, which often meant being woken up in the middle of the night to feed or change his baby girl.

There were nights when he got very little sleep. He sat on the edge of the bed, holding Melody and rocking her in his arms, trying to get her to quiet down and go to sleep. When it became too much and he needed a break, he handed her to his wife, hoping that maybe she could get Melody to sleep.

One evening Scabior suggested putting a few drops of sleeping potion in Melody's bottle. His wife was quick to reject the idea, telling him that she refused to drug their baby just to get Melody to sleep.

"What kind of parents would we be if we did that to our child?" asked Draconius. "That sounds terrible, Scabior."

Scabior sighed, combing his fingers back through his wild and unruly hair. "I'm sorry, pet. I don't know wha I'm saying anymore. I'm just so damn tired. I feel like I 'aven't slept in days."

With their daughter finally asleep in her crib, Draconius sat down on the bed beside her husband. "If you're that tired, Scabior, I'll look after Melody tonight."

Scabior collapsed onto his back across the mattress. "Thank you," he said with a tired sigh.

He closed his eyes, and within minutes he was fast asleep.

When he awoke a few hours later, Scabior heard soft cries coming from the corner of the room. The bedroom was still dark when he opened his eyes, a tiny sliver of moonlight peeking in through the curtains.

He felt around in the dark for his wand, which he had placed on the nightstand before he fell asleep. Scabior knew he only had a few minutes to act before Melody's cries grew louder, turning into the distressed wails she unleashed whenever something was wrong.

Scabior found his wand, and with a flick of his wrist he relit the candles on the dresser. He then looked over and saw his wife asleep in bed beside him.

They had both fallen asleep in their clothes on top of the covers. Draconius was still wearing her black dress, her long curls fanning out around her on the pillow. Scabior, on the other hand, had removed much of his clothing and was wearing nothing but his plaid pants.

For a moment Scabior felt torn between waking his wife and seeing to his daughter's needs on his own. He was still very tired, but he didn't want to wake Draconius when he was sure that she was just as tired as he was.

Melody's whimpers rose to a low sob as she began to cry. That was enough to get Scabior up and out of bed. He walked over to the crib and picked up his daughter. She felt heavier, and there was an unpleasant aroma wafting from her diaper.

"Oh sweet'eart, you didn't," Scabior groaned. This was not what he liked waking up to in the middle of the night.

Melody sniffled, her eyes bright with tears.

"Fine. I'll change you. But next time you do this, it'll be your mother's turn to deal with it."

He laid her down on the foot of the bed, next to his sleeping wife. He removed the safety pin that held her diaper in place, and his nose was assaulted with a horrible smell. The stench was so bad it made him gag, and he clamped a hand over his mouth for fear that he might vomit.

Scabior tried to be a good father. He really did. But after a week of sleep deprivation he'd finally reached his limit.

"You're old enough to wipe your own butt!" he said, so exhausted from lack of sleep that he wasn't even sure what he was saying anymore.

Draconius stirred in bed beside him, opening her eyes at the sound of his voice. "What's going on?" she mumbled sleepily. "Scabior, why are you awake?"

"I'm awake because our daughter doesn't know 'ow to wipe 'er own butt," her husband replied.

"What?" Draconius sat up in bed, looking rather confused. She saw that Scabior was in the process of changing Melody's diaper, but had stopped after unfastening the safety pin.

"You 'eard wha I said," said Scabior. "Look at 'er! She just lies there, knowing full well wha she's done. But will she try to do anything about it? Nooooo! Merlin forbid she might wipe 'er own butt for a change!"

It might not have been a good idea to give Melody a sleeping potion, but it certainly looked like Scabior would benefit from taking a dose of dreamless sleep potion and having a good night's rest.


	6. Pets

There comes a time in every parent's life when their child starts asking for a pet. Melody had been wanting a pet for a while now, going from her mother to her father, repeatedly asking them if she could have a pet.

"No, I've told you before, you're not getting a pet," said Scabior.

"But daddy, I want one," Melody whined. "Mummy has a kitty. So why can't I have a pet too?"

Scabior told his daughter that she couldn't have a pet because most magical creatures were too dangerous for little girls to play with. However, his wife disagreed, stating that flobberworms were perfectly safe and made good pets for children.

"We're not getting 'er a flobberworm," said Scabior. "I don't want one of those things spitting up mucus all over the 'ouse. An who ever 'eard of anyone 'aving a flobberworm for a pet?"

Despite her husband's refusal to get their daughter a pet, Draconius decided to take Melody to the pet store anyway. She waited until Scabior left for work, then surprised her daughter by telling her they were going to the store to get her a pet.

The pet store offered a wide variety of strange and unusual creatures. There were two-headed parrots, rabbits that had sprouted horns from the center of their forehead like a unicorn, a winged cat that Draconius could have sworn she heard talking as she walked past its cage, and a variety of pastel colored fuzzballs known as pgymy puffs.

At first Draconius thought the pygmy puff might be a good choice for her daughter. But they were a bit more high maintenance, requiring lots of grooming and exercise. She couldn't see someone as young as Melody taking a pygmy puff for a walk, or trimming its nails.

They moved on to the aquatic section, where they saw a large tank of fish that had the ability to glow in the dark.

"Do you want one of those fish, Melody?" Draconius asked. "You could keep it in your room and use it as a night light."

Melody looked at the fish and made a face. "No. Fish are slimy and yucky." She then noticed a tank full of turtles, and ran towards it saying, "Mummy, mummy, look at the cute little turtles!"

The turtles in the tank had brightly colored shells. Some of them were black with purple spots, while others were patterned with checkers or stripes. But the one Melody liked the most had a shell that was greenish-blue.

"That one, mummy," said Melody, jumping up and down excitedly in front of the tank. "Can I have him, mummy? Can I? Can I? Please?"

Draconius bought her daughter the turtle, as well as the food and supplies she needed to take care of it. She knew she'd have some explaining to do once her husband got home from work. But for now all that mattered was that her daughter had her pet turtle and was happy.

Scabior was tired when he came home, his feet aching and sore from days spent running and tracking people through the woods. It didn't help that it was the dead of summer, with temperatures rising into the mid nineties.

All he wanted to do was come home, eat, take a shower, then lay down in bed and sleep.

He pulled out a chair and sat down at the kitchen table with a weary sigh. His wife was in the process of making lunch. She hadn't told him about the turtle yet. She figured it'd be better to tell him after he'd rested up a bit.

Scabior closed his eyes, resting his head against the back of the chair as his wife set a plate of muffins and a bowl of cold soup on the table in front of him.

"Scabior," Draconius said, nudging him gently in the shoulder to get his attention. "Lunch is ready. I'll go finish changing the sheets and making the bed while you eat."

"Alright, love," Scabior muttered sleepily. He was really looking forward to relaxing in his nice, soft bed after lunch.

Suddenly he felt something wet splashing against the side of his face. He heard his daughter giggling. And when he opened his eyes, he saw a tiny turtle splashing around in his bowl of soup.

Melody was sitting across from him, a wide grin on her face as she watching the turtle splashing in her father's bowl.

"Turquoise wanted to go for a swim, daddy," she said, smiling at her father.

Scabior frowned, watching as the turtle dipped beneath the surface of the liquid in the bowl, causing the soup to spill out onto the table cloth.

"You know, Melody, some people like to make soup out of turtles an eat them for lunch," he said, glaring at the tiny turtle that was still splashing soup all over the kitchen table.

Moments later, Melody ran screaming down the hall, carrying her turtle as she ran towards her parents' bedroom.

"Mummy!" she yelled as she ran. "Daddy's gonna make soup out of Turquoise and eat him!"


	7. Lullaby

It was a calm, cold winter night. The skies were clear, and the stars were shining brightly overhead. All was peaceful and still, until the sound of a baby crying broke through the stillness of the night.

Draconius and her husband were in the living room when they heard their daughter crying.

"I'll take care of her," said Draconius, rising from her seat and moving towards her daughter's bedroom.

She entered Melody's room, and gently lifted the crying infant from her crib. She tried placing Melody over her shoulder, rubbing her back and speaking softly to her. She rocked her in her arms, she did everything she could to calm her down so she'd go back to sleep. But no amount of love or comfort seemed to help.

She brought Melody into the living room, where Scabior was sitting in his rocking chair by the fireplace. "I can't get her to stop crying," she said, still holding the child against her shoulder. "Maybe you could try singing to her. That usually helps put her to sleep."

Draconius handed their daughter to Scabior, who held her nestled in his arms against his chest. He began to rock slowly, back and forth in the old rocking chair. Melody hiccupped and sobbed, pausing for breath as she clung to her father's shirt with one tiny hand.

"Now then, wha song should I sing for you," Scabior said thoughtfully.

The tiny bundle in his arms shifted slightly, peering up at him as tears trickled down her cheeks. She sniffled and whimpered softly, holding onto her father as he continued to rock her back and forth.

"I know," said Scabior softly. "Let's try this one.

"Play a song for my 'eart an you will find  
Our 'earts are forever intertwined  
The love tha we 'ave is forever yours an mine  
So play a song for my 'eart an I'll play one for you  
As I sing of my love tha is forever true."

Melody began to relax as she listened to the soothing sound of her father's voice. She closed her eyes, and before long she was fast asleep.

When Draconius went to take their daughter and put her back in her crib, Scabior held onto Melody, keeping her snuggled against his chest as he held her in his arms.

"Let me 'old 'er a while longer," he said. "She's fine where she is, love."

Scabior adjusted the blanket that was wrapped around Melody's body, making sure that she was warm and comfortable as he continued rocking her.

That night Melody slept peacefully in her father's arms, safe and sound as the snows of winter began to fall outside the window.


	8. Harvest Festival

It was time for the annual harvest festival, a time that Scabior and his family had been looking forward to all year.

Scabior and his wife started going to the autumn harvest festival before Melody was born. It was part of their usual birthday celebrations for Scabior, since his birthday was a few days before the festival.

When Melody was born, Draconius started bringing her with them to the festival. At first, the little girl was too young to participate in any of the games. But Draconius knew that one day, when Melody was older, this would be the perfect place for her daughter, a place where she could play games, win prizes, and enjoy lots of delicious homemade treats the vendors sold at the festival.

Now that Melody was four, she was finally old enough to start playing some of the festival games. She played ring toss and took part in a duck race. But because she was still very young, her motor skills weren't fully developed yet. So even though she was having fun playing lots of games, she wasn't winning many prizes.

Draconius sat with her husband and daughter, resting in the shaded picnic area at the festival. Scabior was drinking from a bottle of firewhiskey that he had snuck into the festival with him, while his wife and daughter were enjoying slices of pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream.

He looked over when he heard his daughter giggling, and a smile spread across his face as he watched Draconius dab a bit of whipped cream on the tip of Melody's nose.

The little girl went cross-eyed trying to see the white blob of cream on her nose.

Draconius laughed. "There. Now my sweet little baby just got even sweeter." She leaned over and tickled her daughter's tummy. "You look so sweet, mummy's going to eat you up, my sweet little cupcake."

Melody squealed with delight, squirming in her seat and laughing as her mother tickled her.

Scabior loved seeing his wife and daughter having fun together. He knew how fortunate he was to have them in his life, and it always made him happy to see them enjoying themselves and having a good time.

He looked up from watching them when he heard what sounded like a baby crying. Only it wasn't an actual baby, it was a plush mandrake that they were giving away as prizes at one of the game booths.

The crying got Melody's attention too, and she turned to her father and said, " Daddy, I want one of those."

"I don't know," said Draconius, looking at her husband. "She's awfully little. Do you think she can win one? She's not even tall enough to reach the counter."

Melody stuck out her bottom lip, pouting as she gazed up at her father. "Daddy, I want one. Can't I have one, please?"

Scabior reached over and lightly ruffled his daughter's dark brown hair. "It's alright, sweet'eart. Daddy will win one for you."

"You really think you can win one of those for her?" Draconius asked.

"Of course I can," Scabior replied. "It's just a simple ball game. If I can snatch someone on the run, conjuring chains to ensnare them from twenty feet away, then I can certainly win a toy for my little girl."

He got up and went over to the booth. The setup was relatively simple. The owner of the booth had stuck three toilet seats to the back wall of the booth with a sticking charm. The lid was affixed to the wall with the seat hanging down for people to throw balls through.

'Toilet seats?' Scabior thought, as he picked up one of the brightly colored balls. 'Well, at least they're clean.'

He threw the ball, missing on his first try. Draconius snorted, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle a fit of laughter that was bubbling up inside.

Scabior tried again, missing the toilet seat completely. His wife was now doubled over laughing, and Scabior didn't see what was so funny.

'Typical man,' Draconius thought. 'He can snatch a muggleborn from twenty feet away. But try getting him to aim at a toilet and he'll miss every time.'

Scabior was down to one ball. If he missed a third time, he'd be out of balls and have to pay for another round.

His wife walked over to the counter and took the one remaining ball from his hand. "Let me do this," she said. "You never did have good aim when it comes to toilets."

Scabior felt heat rising in his cheeks as he suddenly realized why his wife had been laughing.

Draconius took the ball, and was able to get it through the toilet seat on her first try, leaving Scabior dumbfounded as he watched the man behind the counter hand her a plush mandrake.

"'Ow did you do tha?" Scabior asked.

"Don't you remember when we were younger, and I played on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team?" Draconius said, smiling at her husband. She then turned around and headed back to the picnic area with her prize for Melody.

She sat down on the bench beside her daughter and handed her the toy. Melody hugged the plush mandrake, then gave one of its leaves a gentle tug and the mandrake started crying.

"He's so cute," said Melody, hugging the toy again and smiling. "Thank you for winning him, mummy."


	9. Itchy Clothes

It was bring your child to work day at the Ministry, and Melody was excited to see where her father worked. Most of Scabior's job took place out in the woods. But since he was a Ministry employee and had to bring his prisoners in after snatching him, this meant that at least part of his job took place in the Ministry.

Before they left, Scabior made sure to tell his daughter to behave herself, for he was taking her to see Umbridge, head of the Muggleborn Registration Committee.

When they reached the door to Umbridge's office, Scabior knocked on the door and waited for her to let him in.

Melody started getting antsy, tugging on the hem of her bright red dress as she fidgeted next to her father.

If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was the tight, clingy dress clothes her father put her in every time they went somewhere in public. He had dressed her in a red velvet dress with white tights. She was also wearing white socks and black shoes that were, in her opinion, far too tight and uncomfortable.

All of it was tight and uncomfortable. At home she could run around in a loose, oversized shirt that was long enough to double as a nightgown if she wanted to sleep in it. And sometimes she did, greeting her father at the door when he came home, then sitting on his lap, listening to him tell stories about work until she fell asleep in his arms.

Worst of all was the itchy material the tights were made of. It irritated her skin, making her tug at the material around her thighs as she attempted to escape the clingy fabric.

"Daddy," Melody whined, gazing up at her father as they waited outside the door.

"Not now, sweet'eart," said Scabior.

"But daddy..."

"Just a minute," came Umbridge's voice from behind the door.

Melody started squirming, whimpering as she pulled on her tights.

Scabior looked down and saw his daughter attempting to wriggle out of her clothes, one hand holding his while the other yanked and stretched the fabric of her tights.

"Stop tha, Melody. Leave your clothes alone. It's just for a little while. Then we can go 'ome an you can put on tha shirt with the 'eart on it that you like."

Melody was getting grumpy. She'd had enough of being trapped in this ungodly, prissy outfit.

"But daddy," she practically screamed just as Umbridge opened her office door. "MY BUTT ITCHES!"

Scabior froze, his mouth opening in shock as Umbridge stood staring at him in the doorway.

"Oh my, what a charming little child you have there, Scabior," said Umbridge, as the Snatcher's face blushed bright red from embarrassment. "Is she yours? She certainly sounds like she belongs to you."


	10. First Loose Tooth

Melody Rose woke up one morning to find that one of her teeth was loose. It was one of her front teeth on the bottom row, and she immediately ran to her mother when she discovered her tooth was loose.

Draconius was in the kitchen making breakfast when her daughter ran up to her, still barefoot and in her favorite floral nightgown, crying as she tugged on her mother's dress to get her attention.

It wasn't unusual for four year olds to lose their baby teeth. But because she was still so young, Draconius thought she wouldn't need to have the talk with her about children loosing their baby teeth for a while. Which meant that Melody was scared and upset because she didn't understand what was happening to her.

Draconius knelt down in front of the crying four year old, and calmly explained to her that losing a baby tooth was perfectly normal.

"Normal?" Melody sniffed and blinked her blue-grey eyes.

"Yes, sweetie," said Draconius. "It means you're growing up. And pretty soon your tooth will fall out to make room for a new tooth to grow in its place."

Scabior, who was sitting at the kitchen table reading a copy of the Daily Prophet, set his paper aside and looked at his wife. "Are you sure tha's normal for a girl 'er age?" he asked. "I myself didn't lose my first tooth until I was eight."

Draconius rolled her eyes. "That's because there's nothing normal about you, Scabior."

Scabior leaned across the table and grinned. "I pride myself on being unusual, pet. You should know tha by now as many years as you've been married to me."

Still, Draconius decided to examine her daughter's tooth just in case, to make sure everything was alright. She gently coaxed her daughter into opening her mouth, then carefully wiggled the loose tooth with the tip of her finger.

She saw nothing out of the ordinary, no signs of decay or damage to the tooth. All she saw was a perfectly healthy tooth that was just a little loose.

\------------

The days slowly passed, and little by little Melody's tooth became looser with each passing day.

One evening, just as Melody was getting ready to go to bed, her mother stopped her and asked to see her loose tooth. She wanted to check how loose it was so she could see how close it was to coming out.

Melody allowed her mother to gently wiggle her loose tooth, and Draconius smiled, telling her that it looked like it would fall out very soon.

"Do you want me to take it out for you?" Draconius asked. "It won't hurt, sweetie. I promise."

Melody seemed rather nervous, and was hesitant to let her mother remove her tooth. Even though her mother told her it would be alright and that she wouldn't feel a thing, she was still afraid that it would hurt.

Moments later, Melody heard the door slam in the kitchen. The noise startled her, and Draconius looked up to catch a glimpse of her husband in the kitchen.

"Sounds like your father is home," said Draconius.

"Daddy!" Her loose tooth momentarily forgotten, Melody ran down the hall to greet her father in the kitchen, with her mother following close behind.

When they reached the kitchen, Scabior was leaning over the sink with one hand clutching his right cheek. The right side of his face was badly swollen, and there was a trickle of blood oozing from the corner of his mouth.

Scabior groaned and spit a mouthful of blood out into the sink. His wife approached him and asked what was wrong.

"I got into a fight with this bastard at the pub," said Scabior, his words slurred from the amount of alcohol he'd consumed. "I showed 'im a thing or two." He paused, hiccuping as he swayed slightly. "But 'e got me. Right 'ere." He pointed to the swollen side of his face.

Draconius was worried. He was bleeding so badly that, from the looks of it, he'd probably lost a tooth in the fight. She gave him a glass of water and told him to rinse his mouth, and that afterwards she wanted to take a look at him to see how much damage had been done.

Scabior took a sip of water, swished it around in his mouth and spit in the sink. He repeated the process again, wincing on the third time and holding his cheek after spitting the bloody water out into the sink.

Draconius took the glass and set it on the counter. "Let me take a look," she said. "Open up, Scabior."

Scabior opened his mouth, allowing his wife to examine him. She looked him over before announcing that one of his back teeth on the bottom row was loose. The tooth was also badly damaged, with nearly half the crown chipped and broken off.

"'Ow loose is it?" Scabior asked.

Draconians studied the loose molar for a moment, gingerly poking and prodding the tooth. She then let Scabior go and told him his tooth was very loose, and that it was likely to fall out at any given moment.

"Can't you fix it?" Scabior asked. "There 'as to be a potion or a spell you can use tha will fix it."

"I'm sorry, Scabior. But your tooth has been damaged beyond repair. And as loose as it is, I doubt if one of my potions would work. You'd be better off letting me remove it."

Draconius knew that, given her husband's current level of intoxication, he probably wouldn't feel much if she were to extract his damaged molar. She then looked over and noticed Melody standing beside the kitchen table, and an idea came to her.

She pulled a chair out from the table, then took Scabior by the hand and sat him down at the table.

"Melody," she said, turning to her daughter. "Daddy has a loose tooth that needs to come out, just like you do. Now, I want you to watch so you can see that having your tooth removed doesn't hurt."

"Wait, wha?" Scabior suddenly sat up straight, his eyes widening as he became more alert. "You are not using me as an example for our daughter!"

As he spoke, more blood began to trickle from the corner of his mouth, and Draconius summoned a box of tissues from the living room. Scabior plucked a tissue from the box and used it to wipe the blood off his chin. He then sat there glaring at his wife while she tried explaining why this was a good idea.

"Your tooth is going to fall out anyway, Scabior. And if we show Melody that having her tooth removed doesn't hurt, it can help her in the long run so she won't develop a fear of dental procedures."

Scabior snorted. "Wha dental procedures? All anyone ever does is use potions an spells in our world," he said, holding the tissue near the corner of his mouth to soak up the remaining blood. "An who said I was going to let you pull my tooth?"

"I'll admit you're right about one thing, Scabior, which is the fact that our kind only uses potions and spells. But that didn't stop you from developing a fear of hospitals and medical treatments. And I'd rather our daughter not develop the same type of irrational fears her father has."

"Do you 'ave to bring tha up now, pet?" Scabior grumbled. A low moan escaped his lips as his hand returned to his swollen cheek. He'd talked so much that the movement of his tongue against his loose tooth caused a sharp stab of pain to pierce his jaw.

"You're obviously in pain," said Draconius gently. She cupped his chin with her hand, lifting his head and tilting it back a little. "Come on, open up, Scabior. It will only take a minute then it'll all be over."

Scabior hesitated before slowly opening his mouth, finally giving in and letting his wife extract his loose tooth.

His tooth was so loose it required little effort to remove. Draconius held what remained of the broken crown between her thumb and forefinger, applying gentle pressure as she eased his tooth forward. The tooth slid almost effortlessly out of its socket, and she only had to give it a slight tug before it popped right out.

Scabior blinked and looked at her in surprise. He'd hardly felt a thing, and was surprised by how quickly it was over.

"I told you your tooth was really loose," said Draconius. "It practically fell out in my hand."

She wrapped the bloody molar in a tissue and set it aside on the table. She then took out her wand and instructed Scabior to open his mouth again.

Scabior held his mouth open while Draconius muttered a brief incantation. The spell she cast caused a new tooth to grow in place of the old one.

"There. All done, Scabior," said Draconius, slipping her wand back into the pocket of her dress. "And I was able to regrow your tooth. So that lovely smile of yours will still look just as nice as it always does."

"Thank you," said Scabior, sighing with relief as he relaxed in the chair. "Tha feels much better now."

Melody raised herself up on her tip toes, gazing at the tooth in the tissue with the kind of wonder that only a small child posseses. She then looked up at her mother and asked, "Mummy, how come you had to regrow daddy's tooth with magic? Won't his grow back on its own like mine?"

"No, sweetie. Grown-ups are different," Draconius explained. "When a child loses a baby tooth, the new tooth is meant to last for the rest of your life, which is why you should always take good care of your teeth. Because when its gone, a grown-up's tooth can only be regrown with magic."

Melody thought about this for a moment, then smiled and said, "Mummy, can you take out my tooth too?"

Draconius smiled. Her plan had worked.

She picked up her daughter and sat her on Scabior's lap. "Hold her steady, Scabior. I don't want her squirming around while I'm doing this."

Melody was getting excited. She opened her mouth, and Draconius took hold of her loose tooth. The tooth was a bit harder to get out than Scabior's, and Draconius had to gently rock it back and forth to loosen it up.

"Come on, sweet'eart," said Scabior, making sure he had a firm hold on his daughter as she sat on his lap. "You're a big girl. Be brave like daddy. You can do it."

"Okay, I think it's ready to come out," said Draconius. She then twisted the tooth and sharply pulled it forward, plucking it out of her daughter's mouth.

Melody gasped and looked down at the tiny tooth in her mother's hand. There was a brief pause as her parents looked at her, waiting to see what her reaction would be. She then laughed and squealed in delight, smiling at them as she showed off the new space in her teeth.

"Well done, Melody," said Draconius. "You were so brave. And it didn't hurt at all, now did it?"

"No, mummy, it didn't," Melody replied.

"And how much do you think she should get for her tooth?" Draconius asked, adding the baby tooth to the tissue next to Scabior's extracted molar. "Most children usually get a whole galleon for their first tooth."

"Wait a minute, don't I get anything for my tooth?" Scabior queried. "Mine should be worth a lot more since it's not a baby tooth."

Draconius sighed and rolled her eyes. "Why not, seeing as how you can be so childish sometimes. I'll give you two galleons for your tooth, Scabior. And Melody will get one."

"I was thinking more along the lines of five for mine," said Scabior, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Two, Scabior. And that's final."

Scabior sat Melody down on the kitchen floor, then turned to his wife. "You drive a 'ard bargain there, love. Are you sure there isn't some other way you can pay me?"

Draconius knew what he was hinting at and smiled. "Perhaps there is another way I can pay you. But we'd best wait until Melody is asleep before we begin discussing payment options."


	11. Get Well Soon

Maybe she had overslept. That was Scabior's first thought as he returned from work one morning and didn't see his wife waiting for him like he usually did. Normally she came running the moment she heard him enter the house, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a kiss. But today she was no where to be seen.

"Draconius?" he called out, walking into the kitchen and looking for his wife. He then felt someone gently tugging on his jacket, and looked down to see his four year old daughter standing beside him.

"Daddy, mummy's sick."

At first her words didn't register in his mind. How could his wife be sick? Draconius was always the one who took care of him, not the other way around.

"'Ow long 'as she been ill?" Scabior asked, turning and looking up at the staircase that led to their bedroom.

"Since this morning, daddy." Melody looked at him with worry clouding her bright, blue-grey eyes. "Can you fix her, daddy? Mummy always fixes you when you're sick."

"Don't worry, sweet'eart. I'll take good care of 'er." He then bent down and picked up his little girl. "Come on then. Let's go see wha's wrong with mummy."

Scabior carried Melody up the stairs, opening the bedroom door and peering inside, his daughter on his hip with his arm around her waist.

There was Draconius, huddled under the blankets, shivering and miserable.

"Pet?" Scabior said softly, taking a few steps towards the bed. He set his daughter down on the thickly carpeted floor. "Draconius, are you awake?"

The mass of blankets moved, and Draconius poked her head out from under the covers.

She looked positively dreadful. Her soft curls were damp with perspiration, hanging limp in tangled curtains about her face. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was shaking with feverish chills.

"'Ow are you feeling, love?" Scabior asked.

"How do you think I feel?" Draconius rasped. "I feel awful, Scabior."

Scabior raised an eyebrow and gave her a curious look. "You don't sound so good, pet. Is there something wrong with your throat?"

Draconius glared at him. "You think you're the only person in this house who gets tonsillitis?"

Scabior chuckled and grinned. "Well, there's something new. Although I don't think you caught it from me. I 'aven't been sick for a good two months."

He drew his wand, muttering a brief incantation that lit the tip of his wand with a bright light.

"Open up, sweet'eart. Let me 'ave a look in there."

Draconius opened her mouth, allowing him to examine her throat.

"Well, I'm no 'ealer, but those definitely look infected to me. I think the right one looks a bit more swollen than the one on the left."

"Just shut up and get me the anti-infection potion from my medical bag," Draconius whispered hoarsely.

"Daddy," Melody chirped in the background. "Why does mummy sound like a frog?"

Scabior burst out laughing when he heard this. Of all the things for his daughter to say. She certainly never said that whenever he got sick.

"Dammit, Scabior!" Draconius swore. "Stop laughing! It isn't funny." She then went into a sudden coughing fit, each sharp exhalation of breath grating like jagged knives against her sore throat.

"I'm sorry, love," Scabior apologized. "I'll get you the potion. Just 'old on a minute."

Her eyes watering with pain as she held her burning throat, Draconius watched as her husband searched her medical bag for the potion she'd requested.

There was a long pause.

"Pet, which one is the anti-infection potion?"

Draconius sighed. "The sea green one, Scabior. You've taken it so many times I thought you'd be able to recognize it by now."

"Oh right. This one." He held up a glass bottle filled with a pale green potion. "Got it, love."

He gave her the potion, then brought her a cool washcloth to help relieve her fever. Unfortunately, Scabior wasn't known for his bedside manner. And when he brought her the washcloth, he unceremoniously dropped it on her forehead with a wet splat.

"Cold!" Draconius gasped, as the dripping wet cloth made contact with her warm skin. "You son of a banshee! That's freezing!"

Scabior looked like a disheartened house elf who had failed to please his master. "I was only trying to 'elp cool you off, pet."

"Well you should try being more gentle next time," said Draconius. She held up the sodden cloth with two fingers like it was a dirty diaper. "And wring this out. It's dripping everywhere."

Scabior's next attempt to care for his wife involved making her soup, which was much more successful than his previous attempt.

After feeding her some soup and refreshing the washcloth on her forehead (this time making sure it wasn't soaking wet), Scabior sat with her for a while, talking to her until the soothing sound of his voice lulled her to sleep. Everything was going fine until she woke up an hour later, feeling nauseous and on the verge of throwing up. Scabior had just enough time to conjure a bucket before her stomach decided to empty itself right there in bed.

"I don't understand," said Scabior, as his wife threw up into the bucket he'd placed under her chin. "I get tonsillitis all the time, an I never throw up."

"That's because you have the chronic form," his wife groaned, clutching the bucket as her stomach continued to ache and churn uncomfortably. "There's a difference."

"A difference?"

Scabior didn't get an answer to his question, for a renewed bout of vomiting had silenced his wife.

When she had finished being sick, Scabior brought her a glass of water so she could rinse her mouth, then lay down beside her in bed. He rubbed her aching belly, speaking softly and singing to her to help take her mind off how miserable she was.

"You better not get sick from being this close to me," said Draconius, her tired eyes beginning to close as she drifted off to sleep.

"It's alright, love," said Scabior. "Some people are worth getting sick over."


	12. Leaves Of Three

Draconius was still in the process of washing Scabior's clothes when the head Snatcher woke up that morning. She had just finished washing and drying his plaid pants when he walked into the kitchen, yawning and rubbing sleep from his eyes.

He stood next to his wife, looking down at the soap suds and floating articles of clothing in the sink. "You're washing my clothes today?" he asked, sounding a little confused.

"Yes, Scabior," his wife replied. "I told you today was laundry day. Don't you remember? Or are you not awake enough to think yet?"

"Not awake," he muttered sleepily.

"Your clothes are filthy," Draconius continued. "I don't know what you've been rolling in out in the forest, but your clothes are a mess. It'll take a while to get the dirt and filth out of some of these."

Ignoring her comment on his filthy clothes, Scabior reached into the sink and pulled out the long sleeved shirt he wore under his vest and jacket. "I 'ave work today," he said, holding up the dripping shirt. "Wha am I supposed to wear to work if my clothes are still in the wash?"

"It's the middle of summer, Scabior. Don't you think it would be nice to go snatching without that hot, heavy jacket and shirt you always wear?"

"I suppose," he said, lowering the shirt back into the sink.

"Your vest is on the table, along with your pants and a few other articles of clothing."

Scabior got dressed, putting on his boots, vest, pants and glove. He left his scarf at home, along with his shirt and jacket, then ate his breakfast and left for work.

It was quite a sight, seeing Scabior running through the woods in his vest and plaid pants without his jacket and scarf trailing out behind him as he ran. It felt good though, not having to wear all those layers of clothing on a hot summer day.

He zigzagged between the trees, running full speed downhill after his target. He launched himself off a rocky outcrop, landing on top of his target and tumbling downhill into a wide patch of lush, thick vegetation near the bottom of the hill.

A brief struggle ensued, with Scabior emerging victorious, his prisoner in chains, bloody and bruised, as he led her out of the bushes.

He brought her into the Ministry, received his payment in exchange for his prisoner, and headed home. Everything was fine until later that evening, when he noticed a series of small, red blotches that had formed on his left forearm. These blotches were very itchy. And no matter how much he scratched they only got worse, forming blisters that broke open and oozed clear fluid down his arm.

The following morning Scabior awoke to find a rash covering both of his arms. His skin was red and irritated, with weeping blisters that were wet, itchy and sore.

Scabior didn't know what was wrong. He skin wasn't turning green so he knew it wasn't dragon pox. Though that was a possibilty since he didn't have the illness as a child. He thought about going his usual route and keeping his affliction hidden from his wife. But he was so horribly itchy he couldn't stand it.

"Pet," he said, approaching his wife as she was making breakfast in the kitchen. He held out his arm for her to see the rash that covered most of his skin. "Does this look infected to you?"

Draconius took one look at his arm and gasped. "Scabior, what happened to you?"

"I was in 'opes you could tell me tha." He held out his other arm for her to see. "I don't know wha this is. But it itches so much it's driving me mad. This isn't some sort of infection or allergic reaction is it?"

"It looks like an allergic reaction," said Draconius. She held his left hand, which was unaffected by the rash thanks to the glove he'd been wearing, and brought his arm closer so she could examine him. "You haven't been in poison ivy, have you?"

Scabior shrugged. "I wouldn't know, pet. I don't know wha it looks like. But I took a tumble down a 'ill into this overgrown weed patch the other day. Maybe tha was it."

"You don't know what poison ivy looks like?" Draconius almost couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You're a Snatcher. You live in the forest and can identify edible berries and mushrooms, but yet you don't know poison ivy when you see it?"

"I'm not an 'erbologist, pet. I don't know everything about plants. I only know which ones are safe to eat."

Draconius sighed. She pulled a chair out from the kitchen table, and motioned for him to sit down. He took a seat at the table, and she told him to wait there while she brought him a potion that would help heal the rash on his arms.

"And don't scratch it," she added, seeing him reach for his left arm. "That's how it spreads. And if you keep scratching it really will get infected."

Scabior bit his bottom lip, his foot tapping impatiently on the floor. How was he supposed to go without scratching himself?

He leaned over and started rubbing his arm on the edge of the table. He had to do something for relief while he waited for his wife to return.

"Daddy," a small voice said beside him. "Why are you rubbing your arm on the table?"

It was then that Scabior noticed his four year old daughter had entered the room. He was so preoccupied with scratching his arm that he hadn't seen her there until she spoke up.

"Don't get to close to me, sweet'eart," he told her. "I don't want you catching wha I 'ave."

"Why daddy? Are you sick?"

"No, pet. For once I'm not ill. This is something completely different. Your mum says it's poison ivy. Tha's why I 'ave this bloody rash on my arms."

"Poison?" Melody's eyes widened.

"No, not like tha. It's a plant tha makes you very itchy for a while."

Scabior grit his teeth, swearing under his breath as he rubbed his arm harder against the edge of the table. When his wife walked in and caught him scratching his arm on the table, she slapped him on the shoulder to draw his attention away from his incessant scratching.

"I thought I told you not to scratch yourself," Draconius snapped.

"I wasn't scratching it," Scabior insisted, doing his best to act innocent. "I was rubbing it on the table."

"That still counts as scratching. And look, you've managed to draw blood from scratching your arm so much."

Scabior looked at the back of his arm, and sure enough there were thin streaks of bright red fluid across the splotchy rash that covered most of his skin.

"Mummy," Melody said, her tiny voice sounding worried and afraid. "Is daddy gonna die? He said he touched a plant and it was posion."

"No, of course not, sweetie," her mother replied soothingly to the small child. "The plant is called posion ivy, but it isn't really poisonous. And it's nothing mummy can't fix with one of her potions."

"So daddy just gots a big boo-boo on his arms."

"More like a big damn itchy mess," Scabior muttered.

His wife set her medical bag on the kitchen table, and began bringing out the items she needed to treat her husband.

She made him wash his arms with warm, soapy water to clean off some of the plant oils, then slipped on a pair of protective gloves and began dabbing a pink potion on his arms with a wad of cotton.

As soon as the potion made contact with his arm, Scabior felt it soothing his burning, irritated skin. He sighed with relief, closing his eyes and leaning back in the chair.

"See, Melody?" said Draconius. "Daddy's going to be just fine."

Melody started giggling, her hands over her mouth in an attempt to stifle the fit of laughter that was bubbling up inside her. "Daddy looks funny."

"Wha?" Scabior opened his eyes. "Wha are you talking about?" He then saw that his arms were covered in large patches of pink goo, which was rapidly drying to form a thin coat on his skin.

Scabior looked at the pink goo and made a face. "Wha is tha stuff?"

"It's a potion to help heal the rash and relieve the itching," Draconius explained. "It has to be reapplied every eight hours for the next few days. And, to make sure you don't scratch yourself, I brought you a pair of these." She then slipped a pair of soft, wool gloves on his hands. "They're charmed so you can't take them off. Only I can remove them."

"You couldn't get me a pair of leather gloves, pet?" Scabior asked.

Just then Melody burst out laughing and said, "Daddy looks like a pretty pink unicorn!"

Scabior's mouth dropped open in shock. "I am not a unicorn!" he exclaimed. What followed next was a long string of obscenities, most of which was drowned out by the sound of his wife and daughter laughing.


	13. Spring Cleaning

"Daddy, are cleaning fairies real?"

"Yes, sweet'eart. Unfortunately, ours was strangled to death by the dust bunnies."

As Draconius walked into the bedroom, she was greeted by the sight of two rear ends sticking out from under the the bed. Beneath them were two pairs of feet, one bare and the other smaller pair clad in bright pink socks.

Scabior and Melody were bent down under the bed, side by side, as they talked about the colony of dust bunnies that were currently inhabiting the space below the bed.

Draconius stood behind them, her hands on her hips as she listened to their conversation. She waited a few minutes before calling her husband's name to get his attention.

Scabior started, hitting his head on the underside of the bed. He slowly backed out from under the bed, looking up at his wife as he rubbed the sore spot on the back of his head.

"What are you doing under the bed?" Draconius asked. "You were supposed to be helping me with the spring cleaning. And instead I find you two having a discussion about dust bunnies."

"Those aren't dust bunnies," said Scabior, pointing to the messy clump of grey fuzz that was beginning to creep out from under the bed and around the nightstand. "Our colony 'as grown an multiplied so much tha we now 'ave a 'erd of dust buffalos beneath the furniture."

Melody's head popped out from under the bed. "They killed our cleaning fairy, mummy. Daddy said they strangled her."

"What?" Draconius gave them both a confused look. "There's no such thing as cleaning fairies. House elves do all the cleaning. And we can't afford one of those. So you two need to get a move on and help me finish the cleaning."

"But mummy we can't," Melody whined. "These are free range dust bunnies. We can't take them out of their natural environment. They have to stay free so they can roam with the dust buffalos."

Scabior chuckled, his hand over his mouth to hide the grin on his face.

"What have you been telling her, Scabior?" Draconius asked.

Her husband started laughing, and Draconius sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Fine then," she said. "You two ride your dust buffalos off into the sunset. I'll be in the kitchen cleaning out the cupboards."


	14. Scabior's Rose

It began when she was young. Too young to remember, too young to speak. She was old enough, though. Old enough to know the sound of her father's voice, to know she loved him, and to know when something was wrong.

Melody turned, squirming in her mother's arms as she heard her father coughing, her mother leaning over to place a hand on Scabior's forehead.

"You're burning up," she heard her mother say. But she was too young to understand her words.

"Now don't give me tha look, pet," said Scabior. "There's nothing wrong with me. I'm just a bit warm is all."

"Don't lie to me, Scabior. You're sick. And from the sounds of it, I'd say whatever is wrong with you has settled in your chest."

Melody whimpered, her tiny hand reaching towards her father. She didn't know how to communicate with words, so she hoped this simple gesture would be enough to convey her message.

Scabior looked down at his daughter, a puzzled expression on his face. "Wha is she doing?"

"You see, Scabior? She's concerned. She knows something is wrong." Draconius adjusted her hold on the squirming infant, holding her close to her chest. "Why won't you let me examine you? It will only take a minute."

Scabior hated this. He hated being sick and having to admit there was something wrong with him. He didn't want to be coddled and fussed over. But when he looked at his little girl and saw the expression on her face, that worried look in her bright, blue-grey eyes, eyes that mirrored his own, something inside him changed.

He couldn't stand the thought of her worrying about him. And so he sat down on the edge of the bed, and told his wife that she could look him over, so long as she was quick about it.

\------------------

Melody had learned how to walk. She was now holding onto the side of the bed, trying with all her might to pull herself up onto the bed, her tiny hands tugging on the soft comforter that covered the bed.

Scabior, who was sick in bed, saw the corner of the blankets move and looked down to see what was happening. He could hear his daughter's soft grunting as she tried to climb up the side of the bed, and he couldn't help but smile at the toddler's effort.

"'Ello, pet," said Scabior, gazing down at his little girl. "Wha are you doing in 'ere?"

Moments later, Draconius hurried into the room, scooping up the little girl and lifting her up off the floor.

"I'm sorry, Scabior," his wife apologized. "I was chasing her and she got away from me." She had just turned around and was about to walk out of the room when Scabior spoke.

"Let 'er stay," said Scabior, his voice hoarse from the infection that had settled in his throat. He patted the bed beside him. "Bring 'er to me."

Draconius looked somewhat hesitant. "I don't know, Scabior. What if she catches what you have?"

Melody started fussing and whining. She leaned forward, reaching towards her father. "Dada," she whimpered softly.

"No, sweetie," Draconius soothed, rubbing her daughter's back. "Daddy isn't feeling well. It would be best if you kept your distance until he's well again."

"Dada!" Melody wailed, as her mother took a step towards the door. "Dada! Daaddyy!"

She was crying now, tears streaming down her cheeks as she called to her father. Why couldn't her mother understand? Her father was sick. Something was wrong, and she had to be there for him.

"Please," Scabior whispered. "Bring 'er to me."

Draconius sighed. Melody was screaming and crying, fighting to free herself so she could get to her father. She finally gave in and placed her in the bed beside Scabior, where the little girl snuggled next to her father, curling up next to him with her head resting against his side.

"There's my little girl," Scabior said, putting his arm around her as a smile spread across his face.

Melody smiled back at him. "Daddy," she softy murmured, snuggling close and closing her eyes as she relaxed next to him.

\-----------------

One year followed the next, and the bond between Scabior and Melody continued to strengthen with time. It wasn't unusual for Draconius to walk into the bedroom and find her daughter asleep in bed next to Scabior, both of them adrift in peaceful slumber.

Draconius was afraid that Melody would catch something from her dad, but she couldn't bear the thought of separating them. Melody loved her father, and her constant presense helped take Scabior's mind off how miserable he was. And when the day finally came that Melody got sick from being with her father, Scabior was determined to stay with her until she felt better.

"Scabior, don't," said Draconius. "You've just gotten over being ill, and if you go in there you'll end up getting sick again."

I don't care," said Scabior, pushing past his wife and entering their daughter's bedroom. "I'll sleep on the floor if I 'ave to. I'm not leaving 'er. Not after all the times she's kept me company while I was sick."

And Scabior did in fact sleep on the floor that night beside his daughter's bed, keeping her company, telling her stories, and singing to her until she finally relaxed and fell asleep. He then slept on the floor beside her, his wife coming in later that night and covering him with a blanket as he slept.

\-------------------

Melody was always there for him, at the beginning of their journey and even now, as their journey drew to a close.

"Scabior?" Draconius said gently. "Are you awake, sweetie?"

He could hear them, but their voices lingered on the edge of his consciousness, somewhere far away. He was still deep in the distant land of sleep, and couldn't make out exactly what was being said.

"Scabior."

There it was again. Closer this time. That sweet, delicate voice he recognized as belonging to his wife.

"Dad, can you hear me?"

And Melody too.

They were getting closer. He thought he could just make out what was being said. The blackness slowly began to fade, and Scabior opened his eyes to see his wife and daughter gazing down at him.

"Yay! He's awake!" Melody cheered happily. "Hey, daddy, welcome back to the land of the living."

Scabior's gaze drifted from his daughter to his wife, who was smiling at him as she stood beside his bed. He was still feeling rather groggy, and it took him a minute process what was happening around him.

"There's my brave man," said Draconius. "How are you feeling?"

Scabior opened his mouth to speak, but not a single word escaped his lips, not even a whisper. He tried to swallow, and immediately regretted his decision as he felt an intense, burning pain in the back of his throat.

Draconius saw him grimace as he closed his eyes against the pain, his mouth opening slightly in wordless torment, and it was enough to answer her question.

His daughter scooted sideways on the bed, crawling across the mattress on her hands and knees, then laid down beside Scabior so that she was facing him in bed. She too saw the expression on his face and read what it meant.

"I'm sorry you feel so bad, daddy," said Melody. "We love you, though. We just want you to feel better."

Scabior opened his eyes, gazing at his daughter. He couldn't speak, but he mouthed her name, and a smile blossomed on her face at this sentimental gesture.

Melody watched as his tired eyes began to close, and he drifted back to sleep. He was exhausted. Months of constant sickness had taken their toll on him, leaving him miserable and weak. But the long struggle was finally over, and soon he would recover, feeling better than he had in years. And throughout his recovery she would be there for him, just like she was in the beginning.

She was Scabior's daughter, his only child, and she loved him with all her heart. They would always be there for each other, no matter where their journey took them, from one beginning to the end, and then on to the next adventure.


	15. Melody's New Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The OC Cordelia used in this story was created by, and belongs to, alyssialui. I'm using her with permission. She is not mine.
> 
> If you'd like to read more about Cordelia, please visit alyssiaui's profile on Fanfiction.net and click on Daddy's Little Girl. Some of the stories here involving Melody will make more sense if you do, because our characters interact with each other within the two stories.

There were times when Scabior was unable to find a babysitter for his four year old daughter Melody. Normally his aunt would watch over her while he and his wife were out in the woods. But recently she had come down with a bad case of the flu, leaving him with no one to watch over his little girl.

"It's okay, Scabior," said Draconius. "I don't mind staying home with her."

Scabior gave her a look that said that was out of the question, that she was not staying home this time. "You 'aven't been outside with me in months. You're tired, overworked an in need of a vacation."

His wife scoffed at the idea and brushed it aside with a wave of her hand. "Scabior, it's not work to look after our daughter. I love her. I would never consider it work."

"Alright then," said Scabior. He decided to try a different approach. "When was the last time we 'ad any quality time together?" He winked at her as he finished his sentence, a sly smirk on his face.

"Well, that's a different matter entirely, isn't it, Scabior?"

Scabior grinned, laughing at her response. "Wha do you say, love? Want to join me in the woods for some pleasurable activities?"

"You said you couldn't find a babysitter."

"I know. But there is one option left tha might work."

\-------------------

At first the Dark Lord wasn't pleased to find Scabior on his doorstep, asking if it was alright for him to leave Melody with him for a few days. But then he remembered how Narcissa insisted that Cordelia got out and interacted with children her own age. He also remembered how much fun his little girl had at her birthday party, when Scabior demonstrated how effective water balloons were at helping her make new friends.

Maybe this would be a good thing. Cordelia seemed to get along well with Scabior. So perhaps she would get along with his daughter too.

Scabior left, returning a short while later with his daughter. He left her in Voldemort's care, and the Dark Lord took Scabior's little girl to meet Cordelia.

Cordelia said hello to Melody, a kind smile on her face as she approached the four year old and asked her if she wanted to play. But as Melody glanced around Cordelia's room, she noticed how different things were, and it made her feel unwelcome and uncomfortable in such a neat and tidy, feminine looking room.

For starters, Cordelia's room with filled with an excess of soft, fluffy things. There was an overabundance of plush animals, her bedspread was trimmed in white lace, and she was wearing a pretty purple dress. Her wild and unruly hair had been tied back in a neatly woven braid, and she looked like a well dressed, well mannered little girl.

Melody was wearing a pair of worn black shoes, and her long brown hair escaped her ponytail in trailing strands that hung across her face. She was wearing her favorite oversized t-shirt that hung down to her knees, a pair of pants with grass stains on the knees, and a single red glove on her left hand.

She felt out of place in this little girl's room, almost like she didn't belong here. How was she going to make friends with her if they had nothing in common?

Cordelia noticed how uncomfortable she was, and was just about to say something when a large snake slithered into the room.

Melody's eyes widened at the sight of the monstrous serpent sliding over to Cordelia. The snake reared up, hissing at the little girl, and Cordelia responded by gently patting the snake on the head, all while speaking to it in its own language.

Melody took a step back, her mouth opening in shock as she stared at the massive snake that lay coiled on the floor beside Cordelia. This snake was nothing like her tiny pet turtle. This was something completely different, something she'd never seen before. And was it her imagination, or was Cordelia talking to this overgrown reptile?

"This is Nagini," said Cordelia. "She says daddy wants her to watch us for a while. She's nice. She'll play with us, if you want."

Melody shook off the shock of seeing Cordelia talking to the snake, and reached into her pocket, pulling out an assortment of what looked like colored pencils. "Does snakey like to play dress up?" she asked.

"Snakey?" Nagini hissed. "Will you kindly remind this child that I have a name?"

"What are those?" Cordelia asked, ignoring Nagini as she looked at the colored pencils in Melody's hand.

"Daddy calls it eyeliner," Melody explained. "We can use it to dress up snakey and make her pretty."

Cordelia smiled. It sounded like a good idea to her. She'd already painted Nagini with polka dots, and dressed her up with a ribbon on her head. But since she didn't have a mother around to show her how grown-ups use makeup, it never occurred to her to try putting makeup on Nagini.

They started with the eyeliner, smearing it on around her eyes and making her look more like a raccoon than a snake. But that wasn't all. Melody had also snatched a tube of pink lipstick from her mother's purse, and the two girls put that on Nagini as well.

"So this is lipstick," said Cordelia, holding the tube in her hand as she looked at it with curious fascination. "Does your mummy let you wear this like big girls do?"

Melody made a face, frowning with disgust. "No. I don't wanna wear that stuff. It's nasty. I just like coloring with mummy's lipstick and daddy's eyeliner on the walls."

The Dark Lord returned a few hours later, entering his daughter's bedroom to see how the two girls were doing. And there was Nagini, sitting between Cordelia and Melody, her face an awful mask of eyeliner and lipstick.

"Look daddy," said Cordelia. "We made Nagini pretty."

Melody smiled, laughing at the snake's colorful appearance. Perhaps Cordelia wasn't so bad after all. They were having fun together. And from the looks of things, this was just the beginning of what would later become a lasting friendship between the two girls.


	16. Drunken Bunny

Thanks to Scabior's stories about the free range dust bunnies and dust buffalos, the area under the bed remained a haven of dust and filth. Scabior was too lazy to clean it, and he wasn't the best at cleaning spells anyway.

His wife didn't mind. She knew how Melody loved her father's stories, and decided to just let them have their fun. Besides, she could always go back and finish cleaning later. But not today. She'd done most of the work cleaning house, and she still had to wash clothes and make dinner. She'd finish cleaning the spots they missed tomorrow.

Shortly after Scabior ventured under the bed, Draconius noticed that he was sneezing and coughing a lot. Her first thought was that he was coming down with something. It wouldn't be usual considering how often he got sick. But when she sent the charmed feather duster to clean the top of the mantle, Scabior let out an explosive sneeze as the dust was stirred up from her cleaning.

"Scabior," she said at length, giving him a curious look. "Are you allergic to dust?"

"I prefer to say tha I'm allergic to cleaning. But yes, pet, I am." He then pulled a handkerchief out of a pocket in his jacket and loudly blew his nose.

"No wonder you'd rather spend your time telling tall tales of the dust buffalos on the prairie."

"I think I may 'ave inhaled a dust buffalo, love."

This made Draconius laugh. "Well maybe if you helped out by keeping the house clean and tidy, you wouldn't be getting a snoot full of buffalo dander."

Draconius went about her business, making dinner, giving Melody a bath and putting her to bed, then settled down to spend the evening with her husband. Everything was going fine until Scabior decided to have a couple drinks.

He sat in his chair by the fireplace, a half empty bottle of cinnamon fireball whiskey in his hand, laughing at something his wife couldn't see. "You know wha, pet?" he said, snorting and sliding halfway out of his chair. "You 'ave a rabbit on your 'ead. It's just sitting there. Must 'ave escaped from under the bed with the rest of the dust bunnies."

Draconius sighed and rolled her eyes. "I think you've had enough, Scabior. Come on. Let's get you to bed."

She got him by the arm and lifted him up onto his feet, when suddenly he cried out, "Rabbits! I see rabbits everywhere! Dear Merlin, we're being invaded. They're going to breed with the buffalos an take over the whole 'ouse!"

Draconius couldn't help but laugh, her arm around him as he leaned heavily on her for support. She began to walk him to the bedroom as he muttered to himself about rabbits and buffalos.

"You see them, don't you?" he said, glancing around as she helped him up the stairs.

"Yes, Scabior, I do. And right now I'm helping a drunk bunny up the stairs so I can put him to bed."

"Tha's very kind of you, pet," Scabior said, his words slurred from the amount of alcohol he'd consumed. "I'm sure she appreciates it."


	17. Curse Of the Dragon part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who were expecting Scabior to have a full blown case of dragon pox, the article about it in the Harry Potter wikia says that simple cases only consist of a rash between the toes and sparks from the nose when sneezing.

Being married to a healer meant that Scabior was often lectured about his health, his wife telling him that he didn't take proper care of himself, that he drank too much and didn't get enough sleep. And while he had made an honest effort to cut back on his drinking once his daughter was born, Scabior still didn't pay much attention to his wife's random health lectures.

All that started to change once Scabior had suffered an acute attack of appendicitis eight months ago. He realized how foolish he'd been to avoid going to her for help when something was wrong. It had been enough to make him see how dangerous certain illnesses could be if they weren't treated right away, but it still wasn't enough to completely rid him of his medical phobia.

Scabior still cringed and backed away from his wife at the mere mention of Draconius wanting to preform regular checkups on him. Which was amusing, seeing as how a grown man was afraid of something that didn't bother his four year old daughter.

"What are you so afraid of?" Draconius asked. She was trying hard to understand where her husband's fear was coming from, so that she might be able to help him get over it. From the looks of things, Scabior's fear seemed to center around some misconceptions he had about the healing arts, as well as a lack of basic medical knowledge that led him to believe certain procedures were no different in the muggle world than in the wizarding world.

His fears also centered around the unknown, such as what surgery was like in the wizarding world. Until he'd had his first operation, Scabior believed that his wife would have to cut him open in order to access his internal organs. And looking at things from the perspective of someone in the wizarding world, that was a very frightening thought indeed.

Draconius could see why something like this would frighten him, and it didn't help that the single worst fear he had was of having surgery, as well as all the things that might go wrong during an operation. Surgery was rarely performed in the wizarding world. And the horror stories about how it was done in the muggle world was enough to scare anyone away from having an operation.

"All I'm asking is that you have regular checkups like Melody does," said Draconius. "It's time for her to have her annual checkup this morning after breakfast. So I was thinking maybe you could have one too."

"Yeah, an if you find something wrong with me, then wha?" Scabior asked. "Because I'm not 'aving another operation."

Draconius sighed and rolled her eyes. "It's just a few diagnostic spells and a brief examination. That's all, Scabior. You've seen me do it with Melody so you know what it consists of."

"I agreed to let you look me over an take care of me when I'm ill. So why do you 'ave to poke an prod me when there's nothing wrong with me?"

"To see if I can detect the early signs of illness or other health issues," Draconius replied. "That way I can treat it before it becomes something serious."

Scabior was getting nervous, fidgeting in his seat as he anxiously drummed his fingers on the table. "No, I can't, pet," he said, shaking his head. "I've seen wha you do with our daughter, an I know it won't be tha simple for me. You once told me tha I probably need a lot of work done, due to my age an the fact tha I never 'ad any of those vassines, or wha'ever it is you call them."

"Vaccines," Draconius corrected him. "And you should have them, seeing as how your work brings you in contact with school age children, and with parents who are in hiding with their little kids. In fact, Melody is getting hers today for dragon pox. Have you ever had dragon pox, Scabior?"

"No, an I doubt if I ever will. Isn't that something you catch from being around infected dragons?" He then laughed and added, "You better not make me sick, pet."

"That isn't funny. If you haven't had it then it means you're at risk for catching it. And it isn't from being around infected dragons. Plenty of people have come down with it who haven't worked with dragons, Scabior."

"Wha are vassines anyway? Aren't they those things muggles put in you with sharp things?"

"Those are called needles, Scabior. Healers don't use those. We use oral vaccines. You just take a few drops of a special potion, and that's all there is to it."

"I still don't think I need it," said Scabior. "My parents didn't believe in getting them, an I don't believe in them either. Besides, I already know wha's wrong with me. I drink too much an my tonsils are roughly the size of snitches. Nothing out of the ordinary there, pet. An I don't need you to tell me wha I already know."

He then left for work, putting their conversation out of his mind until several days later, when he began to develop a peculiar green and purple rash between his toes.

Scabior sat on the side of the bed, gazing down at the oddly colored rash that adorned his feet. The skin around his toes had taken on a faint green tinge, with purple blisters that itched and burned. "No. I am not coming down with dragon pox," he said. "Not after tha conversation I 'ad with my wife last week."

"Scabior," his wife said as she walked in the room. "Dinner's ready, sweetie."

The head Snatcher slipped a pair socks on his feet, hiding the rash before joining his wife and daughter at the table for dinner. The last thing he wanted to do was tell her he thought he might be coming down with dragon pox, right after he'd told her he didn't need and to be vaccinated against the disease.

The rash stayed confined to his feet, slowly creeping towards his ankles until his feet were mostly green. He developed a fever, and was feeling rather sickly and run down. He kept the socks on his feet, trying to hide the rash from his wife. But Draconius had been around him long enough to know when something wasn't right.

One evening during dinner, Draconius noticed that Scabior wasn't eating. He was just idly pushing the food around on his plate with his fork, gazing down at the table in silence. His cheeks were flushed, and there was a greenish tinge to his lips and fingernails.

"Scabior, sweetie, is something wrong?" Draconius asked. "You look a little green around the gills, honey."

"I'm fine, sweet'eart," said Scabior, setting his fork down as he reached for the handkerchief he kept in his pocket. His eyes were bleary, and there was a fine layer of perspiration clinging to his forehead. He definitely looked sick, no matter what he told his wife.

His nose was tickling, and he could feel a sneeze building up inside. "Really, pet. There's nothing wrong with me," he insisted. His words were cut short when a sneeze erupted from his mouth and nose, sending up a flare of golden sparks that singed the corners of his handkerchief. The blazing sneeze left small holes which resembled cigarette burns in the plaid material.

"Oh crap..." Scabior groaned, for he knew what this meant. He had dragon pox, and there was no denying it or hiding it from his wife any longer.

Melody started giggling. "Daddy has the dragon curse," she said, grinning from ear to ear as she looked over at her father.

Her parents looked at her, unsure of what she was talking about.

"Dragon pox," Melody said simply. "Mummy is the dragon. So the dragon curse is what happens when you don't listen to her, daddy."

"You hear that, Scabior?" said Draconius, a sly smirk spreading across her lips. "Our little girl knows what happens when you don't listen to me. You get cursed with dragon sickness."


	18. Curse Of the Dragon part 2

Scabior groaned as he looked down at the burns in his handkerchief. He'd tried denying it, tried hiding it from his wife that he was sick. But when he started sneezing gold, flaming sparks in front of his family, there was no way for him to hide that he had dragon pox.

"Come on, sweetie," said Draconius. "Let's get you to bed."

"But I'm fine," Scabior insisted, sniffling as his nose started running. He wiped his nose with his handkerchief, then let fly with another blazing sneeze.

His wife got him by the arm and led him away from the kitchen table. She took him upstairs and made him sit down on the edge of their bed. "I told you you needed to be vaccinated against dragon pox," she said, opening the dresser drawer and taking out a pair of her husband's favorite plaid pajama bottoms. "But you didn't listen to me, did you, Scabior?"

'No, I didn't," said Scabior. He looked just as tired as he sounded. He also sounded rather stuffed up since his nose had started to run.

He sniffed, trying to keep the warm mucus in check as it started dribbling from his nostrils. He could feel another sneeze coming on, and quickly covered his mouth with his handkerchief as another explosive sneeze erupted from his mouth and nose.

Draconius placed a pair of blue plaid pajama bottoms on the foot of the bed beside her husband. "Take off your socks," she said. "I want to examine you for signs of dragon pox, and the rash most people get is usually confined to the patient's feet when they have a mild, uncomplicated case of dragon pox."

"You think this is mild?" Scabior asked. He had a fever, his body ached, and he was feeling down right wretched. If this was a mild case of dragon pox, then he hated to think about how he would feel if things had been worse.

"Yes, I think this is a mild case," his wife replied. "But I won't know the full extent of it until you let me examine you. So you should put on your pajamas, relax, and let me have a look at you."

Scabior sighed. He knew there was no way out of this. He was sick, and the only way he was going to get any better was if he let his wife take care of him.

He got undressed and put on his pajama bottoms, then removed his socks and laid down in bed atop the covers. His wife sat down beside him on the bed, taking a moment to examine the green, scaly rash that covered his feet. In some places the purple blisters that had spread from his toes to his ankles had popped open, and were slowly oozing trace amounts of clear fluid. This was mainly due to Scabior's constant scratching, and a few of the itchy blisters had been scratched so much that they were either scabbed over or bleeding.

Draconius shook her head and frowned at the sight of the wet, crusty rash on her husband's feet. "You shouldn't be scratching so much. It's a good way to cause an infection."

"I can't 'elp it," said Scabior. "It itches so much it's driving me mad."

"Then you should have come to me sooner, Scabior. I have an herbal paste that can help relieve the itching and heal the blisters. I'll get it for you in a minute, but first I want to complete the examination." Draconius then withdrew her wand from a pocket in her dress, and muttered a brief incantation that caused a bright light to flare to life at the tip of her wand.

She leaned over him in bed and instructed him to open his mouth and stick out his tongue.

Scabior eyed her lit wand apprehensively. "Why do you want to look at my throat?" he asked. "It isn't sore or anything. For once in my life my throat is perfectly fine, pet."

"Sweetie, please don't be difficult," said Draconius. "This will only take a minute and then we're almost finished."

Scabior hesitated before opening his mouth and letting her shine the light onto his throat.

"Just as I suspected. Your tongue is purple, and there are faint purple splotches along your throat and the roof of your mouth."

"Wha?" Scabior's eyes widened as he looked at her in disbelief. "Why is my tongue purple?" He'd never heard of such a thing before. But then again he wasn't as knowledgeable about medicine as his wife was.

"It's a typical sign associated with dragon pox," Draconius explained. "In more severe cases, the rash can spread to the mouth and throat, causing itching, swelling and obstruction of the airway if it isn't treated properly. Yours is only a mild case, so I doubt if we have to worry about that happening. Still, it's something I want to monitor in case it gets worse."

The last thing she did was take his temperature, and found that he had a low grade fever.

"Only 100°," she said. "That's not bad, Scabior. And if it gets worse, I can give you a potion to help bring down your fever."

"So wha are you going to do?" asked Scabior. "Aren't you going to give me a potion tha'll cure this? I'm sure there must be something you can give me."

"I'm sorry, sweetie. But with mild cases of dragon pox it's better to let the disease run its course, because the potion that cures it can have some rather unpleasant side effects. So unless it starts getting worse, I'd rather treat the symptoms instead."

Scabior didn't look pleased to hear this. He'd been feverish, itchy and miserable for the past two days, and was hoping his wife could give him something that would cure him.

"'Ow long is this going to last?" he asked, as he leaned forward and started scratching the purple rash on his left foot.

Draconius slapped his wrist, and he quickly recoiled and stopped scratching his foot. "Seven to ten days," she said. "It's not that bad, Scabior. It's just something that makes you hot and itchy for a couple of days."

"'Ave you ever 'ad dragon pox before?"

"No, because unlike you I had enough sense to get vaccinated against the disease when I was younger. Now wait here while I get you a cold compress and something that'll help relieve the itching."

"Lovely," Scabior muttered, closing his eyes and leaning back against the mound of pillows on the bed. There was nothing he could do but try to relax and get some rest, since it was clear that he wouldn't be getting better anytime soon.

His wife returned a short time later with a jar containing a thick, sky blue paste, which she dabbed on his feet and between his toes, covering the itchy blisters with a layer of the soothing paste.

Scabior giggled and started laughing when his wife tried dabbing the paste between his toes with a cottonball. His wife tried to hold him steady as he laughed and squirmed, her hand closing around his ankle as she told him to hold still.

"I can't," Scabior snorted. "You're tickling me."

Draconius forgot how ticklish her husband was. She sighed and set the jar aside for a minute, giving Scabior time to regain his composure.

"I'm sorry," said Scabior, still grinning as she resumed dabbing the paste on his feet and toes.

When she finished applying the paste, she brought him a damp washcloth which she neatly folded and placed on his forehead. "How are you feeling?" she asked, sitting down beside him in bed.

"Better," he said. "Though still a bit 'ot and tired."

"That will go away in a few days, sweetie. For now you should try getting some rest."

Scabior closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep, but after a few seconds he felt a trickle of warm mucus slithering out of his nostrils. He sniffed and opened his eyes. It felt like water was pouring from his nose. He then let fly with another round of flaming sneezes.

His wife handed him a tissue.

"Thank you," said Scabior, and loudly blew his nose. He rolled over on his side, being careful not to let the washcloth slide off his forehead, and tucked the tissue under his cheek so that any mucus that drained from his nose would run right out onto the tissue. He then closed his eyes again and went to sleep.

\----------------

Scabior woke up a short while later and started sniffling and sneezing, which was an unusual sight in the darkness of their bedroom, because every time he sneezed there was a flash of light that lit up the bedroom. He blew his nose, then started scratching the blisters on his feet. He itched so much he couldn't get back to sleep. He kept scratching and sneezing until his wife woke up and applied more of the soothing paste on his feet.

The next morning found Scabior sound asleep with a wad of moist tissues tucked under his cheek. His face was flushed, and strands of his red and brown hair clung to the layer of perspiration on his forehead. That, combined with the greenish discoloration of his lips and fingernails, made him look like he was decked out in festive shades of holiday colors for Christmas.

When his wife offered to make him breakfast, Scabior told her he wasn't hungry then rolled over and tried to going back to sleep.

"But you have to eat something," Draconius insisted. "You didn't eat dinner last night. And you need to eat something to keep your strength up."

Scabior groaned. Food was the last thing on his mind that morning. He was still hot and miserable, his body ached and his head was throbbing. All he wanted was to be left alone to sleep.

"How about I make you some soup and a grilled cheese sandwich?" Draconius asked. "It's mild so it won't upset your stomach."

Another groan escaped Scabior's lips, and he covered his mouth as he belched and felt bile rising in the back of his throat.

"Scabior, are you alright?" His wife looked at him with concern as she moved closer towards the bed. "You aren't going to be sick, are you?"

Scabior shook his head, his hand still clamped over his mouth. His throat and chest were burning, and the pain he felt in the back of his throat made it difficult to breathe or swallow.

"Get me a glass of water," he gasped, his eyes watering from the amount of pain he was in.

His wife brought him a glass of water, and he quickly sat up in bed and started drinking in an attempt to wash the horrific taste of burning acid out of his mouth. He downed the entire glass in seconds, gulping it down in hopes of easing the burning pain in his throat, then asked for some more.

He drank almost three glasses of water before the pain began to subside. However he still felt slightly queasy, his insides churning uncomfortably as waves of bile continued to rise up and lap at his esophagus.

Scabior held his stomach. "Pet," he moaned. "I don't feel so good. My insides are burning an I feel ill."

"You need something to soothe your stomach," said Draconius, easing the tangled strands of hair out of his face. "This is just another symptom of dragon pox. The illness mimics becoming a dragon, with green scaly skin, fever, flaming sneezes and a burning sensation in the chest and throat caused by severe heartburn."

"It's not right, though, pet. I'm a lynx. You're supposed to be the one who's a dragon, not me. I want no part in this."

"You'd rather be a cat and cough up furballs instead?"

"Yes." Scabior nodded. "Furballs are always better than fireballs. An it means I get to lick myself."

Draconius laughed. Scabior was sick but at least he still had a sense humor.

She brought him a potion that would help relieve his nausea and heartburn, then refreshed the cloth on his forehead and applied more of the sticky paste to his feet. He was starting to feel a little better after taking the potion, and decided to try eating some breakfast. But to be on the safe side, he only ate soup and toast for breakfast that morning.

\-----------------

With his wife's care and attention, Scabior slowly began to get better. There were nights he woke up scratching and sneezing, and at one point in time his fiery sneezes burned a small hole in the mattress. But aside from that he was recovering well, and within a couple days his fever broke and he started feeling better again.

Scabior made a full recovery, and by the end of two weeks most of the blisters on his feet had completely healed. However he still refused to take the oral vaccines his wife offered him.

"So you'd rather be sick than take a potion that would prevent the illness altogether?" Draconius asked. She didn't understand why he would willingly choose to run the risk of getting sick, especially when his work sometimes brought him in contact with young children who could be carrying all sorts of infectious diseases.

"Let's just say tha I enjoy the attention, sweet'eart. An the foot massages you gave me when my feet were sore an itchy," Scabior said, grinning at his wife as he spoke.

Draconius huffed out an irritated sigh. She knew he was making excuses to avoid taking the foul tasting potions that were required to prevent him from getting sick. It wasn't unusual for Scabior to refuse taking potions simply because he hated the taste of them. Although knowing him she was sure there was a part of him that secretly loved the attention he got. So it wasn't entirely an excuse to get out of taking his potions.

"You won't be getting anymore foot massages, Scabior, because once someone has dragon pox they become immune to it for life," said Draconius.

Scabior looked disappointed. "Are you sure, pet? I think the soles of my feet are still a little sore." He scrunched his lips into a pout, giving her his irresistible sad face that he sometimes used when he wanted something from her.

His wife took one look at him and laughed. "Oh grow up, Scabior! Honestly, it's like I'm married to a child."

"But I made you laugh, pet. Which means you must be amused by my childish antics."

It was true. Although she hated to admit it, Draconius adored the childish nonsense that sometimes spewed from his lips. And sick or not he was still her husband, and she would always love him no matter how he beahved or how sick he was. She just wished he would listen to her more often, and take the potions that she offered him so he wouldn't get sick as often as he usually did.


	19. I Love You Just the Way You Are

He knew what he was. He was a Snatcher, an outcast, a man forsaken by the world for all the things he'd done. He could be cruel, he could be violent, he drank too much and had a horrible temper when he was drunk.

No one could say he was the perfect man, a good man, or a person who was especially loving and kind. No one thought of him as a hero. If anything they saw him as the opposite, as a murderer and a thief, a man who couldn't be trusted, a man they feared and ran from if he so much as glanced in their direction.

Scabior was used to this kind of treatment. He got it wherever he went. He knew he wasn't welcome in most places. People closed their doors, they didn't open them to him. And that is why, on this particular night, Scabior was turned away and left outside in the cold when he'd only been trying to find a gift for his wife for their anniversary.

He cursed under his breath and turned around, looking from one closed set of doors to the next. One by one they shut their doors, slamming them in his face. He tried explaining to them why he was there, but they cut him off in mid sentence, closing their doors before he could finish speaking.

"But tomorrow is our anniversary," he said, trying to get his words out before they turned him away. "My wife is - " Too late. The door closed before he could finish. And to make matters worse it had started to rain.

Scabior stood alone in the rain, wondering what he was supposed to do now. These people didn't care, they didn't see the good that was buried deep inside of him. They probably thought he was lying, just trying to get inside to see what he could steal. And in truth he had stolen things for his family before, such as a pair of shoes for his daughter when she was a baby. He didn't even have to steal them, because he had enough money to afford them. But they looked nice, so he slipped them on Melody's feet and walked out the door with them.

Stealing something was always an option. But after the incident with the shoes, Draconius threw a fit and said she didn't want him bringing home anything he'd stolen. And Scabior doubted if his wife would be happy with a gift he'd stolen for her. He still stole things from time to time, he just didn't tell his wife where he got them and didn't try passing off the stolen objects as gifts for his family.

The rain came pouring down as he walked the darkened streets, the wet roads illuminated with light from the enchanted lamp posts that lined the sidewalk, making the ground beneath his feet glow with a dull amber light reflected in the puddles.

Scabior stopped, looking down at his reflection in the puddles on the ground. His tangled hair was soaking wet and dripping rainwater down the sides of his face. His jacket offered some protection from the downpour, but the rain was creeping under his vest and starting to soak through into his shirt. His plaid scarf was also wet and felt like a heavy sponge around his neck.

They didn't see him the way his family did. Like reflections on water, he looked different when seen through the eyes of his family, the image distorted and changed by the drops of water that rained down from the heavens. Each drop that touched the surface sent out ripples, spreading out in rings, some of them small, some of them wide.

These rings were like the things he did for his family. Sometimes he did small things, such as spelling out the word "love" with rocks beneath the pear tree in the yard that was his wife's favorite, just because he thought it would be a fun surprise for her. Sometimes he did big things, such as helping Draconius when she'd been attacked during an outing in the woods, trying to heal her, holding her hand as he comforted her, helping her through the pain.

Other times he would help by getting Melody ready for bed, giving her a bath, putting her to bed, reading to her until she fell asleep. But his favorite thing to do was sing to her. He'd been singing her to sleep since she was a baby, sitting in the rocking chair by the fireplace, holding her in his arms as he sang to her. And now that she was older he could enjoy singing to her while they danced, the music playing on the wireless as he took his little girl by the hand and spun her around.

All of these things, no matter how big or small, made a difference in the way his family saw him. Each drop and every action, every ripple on the surface made the image change. To them he was a loving father and a devoted husband. He took good care of his wife and daughter, he worked hard to provide for them, even though his job wasn't the most pleasant or socially acceptable line of work.

Scabior turned and took one last look at the stores and buildings that surrounded him, the rain dripping from his hair and clothes as he stood alone in the streets. He caught a glimpse of someone looking at him from a storefront window, frowning and shaking their head before turning and walking away. He didn't want to return home without a gift for his wife, but it looked like he didn't have a choice.

"This will be the third year in a row," he said sadly, gazing up at the darkened sky above. He then vanished on the spot, leaving behind the cold city streets and returning home.

\--------------

When Draconius opened the front door she saw her husband standing there, his clothes soaking wet and his hair hanging in loose, wet strands in his face. She immediately took him by the hand and brought him inside.

"Scabior! What are you doing out in this storm? You should have been home ages ago."

"I'm sorry, pet," said Scabior, his wife hauling him over to the fireplace and taking off his jacket. "It took longer than expected because I was trying to find a store tha would let me in. But they slammed their doors in my face, an I couldn't get you a gift for our anniversary."

"You're soaking wet," said Draconius, now using her wand to siphon the water from his clothes and dry him off. "It'll be a miracle if you don't catch a cold, Scabior."

"Did you 'ear me, pet? I said I didn't get you anything for our anniversary."

"What?" She paused, looking up at him. "You didn't get me anything?"

"No. I tried, pet. But they refused to let me in to buy anything. An I know you said you didn't want me to steal anything..." His words trailed off as he gazed down at the floor, unable to look at her as his heart sank to the very pit of his stomach. He felt awful, having to come home then explain to his wife why he couldn't get her a gift. And long about now he just wanted to crawl under the rug and hide.

Draconius had just opened her mouth to speak when a small voice could be heard coming from down the hall.

"Daddy?" the tiny voice said.

Scabior looked up and saw his little girl standing at the entrance of the living room. She went running towards him, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a hug.

"Daddy, you're home!" she said happily.

"Melody, you're supposed to be in bed," said Draconius. "It's past your bedtime, young lady."

"But mummy," Melody whined, her arms still around her father. "I couldn't sleep, not without daddy here. I missed him."

Scabior smiled and ruffled her hair. "I was only gone for a short while, pet."

"But I missed you, daddy," she said again, as though it were more than enough to explain her actions.

Scabior looked back at his wife, his smile fading slightly when he saw the look on her face. She didn't look happy, and he was sure he knew the reason why.

"Scabior," Draconius began. "You know how easily you get sick. You should have come home as soon as it began raining instead of letting yourself get soaked." She then made him sit down in the rocking chair by the fireplace, and with a brief flick of her wand the fireplace roared to life, bathing the shivering Snatcher in its gentle warmth. "Now just stay here and warm up, sweetie. I'll be back in a minute with your blanket and some tea."

"But Draconius - " His sentence was cut short as she placed a kiss on his cheek, then turned around and left the room. He was still staring at the empty space where she'd been standing when he felt his daughter climbing up into his lap.

"I'm glad you're home, daddy," said Melody, her head resting against his chest as she began to fall asleep in his lap. And that was how Draconius found them when she returned a few minutes later, wrapping the blue and white plaid blanket around him and pressing a cup of chamomile tea into his hands.

Scabior couldn't believe it. His wife didn't care that he hadn't bought her a gift. And when he tried to explain again why he wasn't able to get her anything, she told him it was alright, that she knew there were people in this world who didn't see him the way she did.

"They don't know you like I do, Scabior," she said. "They haven't seen the sweet, caring side of you that proves you have a heart. You aren't perfect, but I still love you despite your flaws. I love you just the way you are."

There was a slight pause before Melody opened her eyes and softly murmured, "Daddy, will you sing to me? Please?"

Scabior smiled. "You know wha? I think I will. An I know the perfect song for my two beau'iful flowers." He then began a song about how his wife and daughter were the light in his world, like roses blossoming in the night, saving him from the dark, and hearing him sing made for a wonderful anniversary gift. Because like his wife always said, anyone can buy a gift from a store, but the best gifts come from the heart.

And so Scabior had a present for his wife after all. Though the real gift he gave her was himself, just the way he was, and that was all he needed to make her happy.


	20. Water Bed

"Wha the 'ell is this?"

"It's a water bed, Scabior. Do you want to give it a try?"

Scabior walked in a slow circle around the water bed, looking at the strange new addition to their bedroom. He'd never seen something like this before. He'd heard of them, but he hadn't actually seen one.

"Where exactly did you get this thing?" he asked, looking at his wife as he pointed at the water bed.

Draconius sat down on the side of the bed, holding very still as the mattress jiggled and moved. It was such a strange sensation, feeling something solid that was supposed to stay put moving beneath her. But then again brooms were like that, and she had played Quidditch for the Ravenclaw team when she was in school. So it wasn't that unusual. She just had to take a moment to get used to it.

"One of the women I know from work suggested that we get one of these," said Draconius. "Her husband is muggleborn, and she said they had some of the best sex ever on one of these."

"Muggleborn?" Scabior frowned. "You mean Michael Williams?"

Draconius nodded. "Yes, that's the one. She said they used to have loads of fun on these things."

"Yeah, before I turned 'er 'usband in to the Ministry last month." Scabior placed the palm of his hand on the mattress and pressed down lightly, watching as his hand sunk into the water bed. "I don't know about this, pet. It seems rather unstable. An are you really going to take advice from someone who's 'usband is one of mudbloods I make a living off of?"

"Just try it, sweetie," said Draconius, patting the mattress.

Scabior watched as the material rippled beneath the sheets. Something about this looked very wrong indeed. And the sight of the undulating material made his skin crawl.

He sat down on the bed beside his wife, and felt himself sink into wriggling mattress.

"It's really not so bad once you get used to it," said Draconius. She watched as her husband crawled across the bed on his hands and knees, the motion of the water bed causing him to dip up and down then sway forward slightly. He looked rather uncomfortable, so she told him to think of it as being on a broom. "Brooms move when you sit on them," she said.

"Not like this," said Scabior. "An in case you forgot, I don't like riding brooms. There's a reason why I prefer to travel by apparating."

"And what reason is that?" Draconius asked, moving closer to him and putting her arms around him as he bobbed and swayed on the mattress. She was determined to make love to him on this bed of watery delight, and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek as she held him close.

She eased his hair out of his face, trailing kisses down his neck as she reached for the zipper on his vest, tugging it down as she started undressing him. A low moan escaped his lips, and Draconius pulled him down on top of her. Little did she know that that wasn't a moan of pleasure, and as the bed began to rock beneath them, Scabior's stomach lurched forward, threatening to spill its contents all over their new bed.

"What's wrong, honey?" Draconius asked, combing her fingers through his hair. He had gone pale, with a faint green tinge to his lips and cheeks.

Scabior slid off her and onto his side, one hand wrapped around his waist while his other hand gripped the undulating mattress. "It won't stop moving," he moaned. "Everything keeps moving... It won't stay still..."

His wife sat up in bed, looking at him with concern as he lay moaning on his side. A frantic look crossed his face, and he suddenly shot up off the bed, stumbling in his haste and almost rolling off the bed onto the floor as he made a mad dash to the bathroom. The door closed behind him, and seconds later Draconius could hear him being violently ill.

"Scabior?" she said, getting out of bed and approaching the bathroom door. "Scabior, what's wrong?"

The sick Snatcher gasped, sweat pouring from his brow and dripping down his face. He doubled over, clutching his stomach as he vomited into the porcelain bowl. His wife opened the door, and saw him on his knees in front of the toilet.

"I'm sorry, pet," he breathed, his hair falling into his face as he looked at her. He swallowed hard, trying to force what was left of his dinner back down his throat. He raised a trembling hand and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Motion sickness."

"Motion sickness?" Draconius echoed. "Who gets motion sickness on a water bed?"

"I do," said Scabior. "I 'ave a sensitive stomach. I can't tolerate being on anything tha moves." His stomach twisted into an uncomfortable knot, and he heaved the last of his meal into the toilet.

Draconius stood behind him, holding his hair back as he threw up. She then sat down on the floor beside him once his vomiting had ceased, rubbing his back and speaking softly to him. Scabior leaned his back against the bathroom door, resting as his wife brought him a damp washcloth and placed it across his forehead.

"It's alright, sweetie," said Draconius soothingly, taking a seat beside him on the floor. "I'll get you something to settle your stomach. And then I'll get rid of the water bed and bring back our old one. "

"Thank you," said Scabior, closing his eyes as he rested against the door. "I don't want to be on top of anything tha moves except you."


	21. Strawberries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to my dear Sumatranfox and his love of strawberries.

Scabior loved the delicious treats his wife made for him. She baked blackberry bread using fruit from her garden, she made creamy potato soup with garlic and herbs, and rice pudding with sliced apples and cinnamon. But the thing he loved most was strawberries.

Whenever Draconius brought home a basket of fresh strawberries, Scabior was the first to help himself to a whole bowl full of the sweet, delicious fruit. Sometimes he would eat two bowls of strawberries, reclining on the couch with the bowl of strawberries on his lap, happily munching away on his favorite treat.

Eventually Draconius decided to add a strawberry patch to her garden in the back yard. Scabior was delighted when he saw his wife bringing home strawberry plants from the store, and together the family of three set to work planting the strawberries in the garden.

They chose a sunny spot near the house where the strawberries would have plenty of room to grow and flourish. Melody helped her parents plant the strawberries, but after a while she got bored and started playing in the dirt. Scabior was no help, as he encouraged his daughter by teaching her how to make mud pies.

One thing lead to another, and after Melody tried playfully flinging a handful of mud at father, only to end up hitting her mother in the face, all three of them went inside laughing and covered from head to toe in mud.

Before long the strawberry plants began to grow, helped along by a few simple charms Draconius cast on them. And when summer arrived, Scabior was often seen sitting in the garden eating as many strawberries as he could hold.

It wasnt long until realized the benefits of having his own personal strawberry patch. He was sitting at the kitchen table one evening with a bowl of strawberries smothered in cream when an idea came to him.

"Pet," he called out, standing up and heading towards the stairs. He walked into the bedroom, where his wife was sitting in bed reading a book. "Look wha I've got, sweet'eart," he said, grinning as he held up the bowl of strawberries and cream.

Draconius looked at him with interest, setting her book aside as he sat down beside her on the bed. He grasped one of the strawberries by its leafy top, swirling it in the cream before bringing it to her mouth. Her lips parted, allowing her husband to feed her the cream covered strawberry.

Scabior dipped another strawberry in cream, this time leaning forward and kissing her while the sweet taste of strawberries and cream was still fresh on her lips. She'd barely finished chewing and swallowing when his tongue entered her mouth, searching and probing deep inside as he pulled her close.

She gasped when they came apart, his wicked laughter ringing in her ears as he chuckled darkly, a seductive smile on his face as he gazed at her in the flickering candlelight.

"Didn't expect tha, now did you, pet?" he said, brushing the hair out of her face.

She smiled pleasantly once she'd gotten over the shock of what he'd done, then reached for a strawberry and held it up in front of him.

Thinking she was going to feed it to him, Scabior opened his mouth, waiting for her to feed him the cream covered fruit. But instead of feeding him, Draconius wiped the cream off on the tip of his nose and laughed.

Scabior went cross eyed as he looked at the blob of cream on his nose. "Wha did you do tha for?"

"For taking me by surprise, Scabior," she said. "Next time you ought to warn me before shoving your tongue down my throat."

"Careful, pet," Scabior warned. "You keep talking like tha an I'll shove something else down your throat."

"Will you dip it in cream first before you feed it to me?" Draconius asked.

Scabior smiled. "Certainly, love. You can slather as much cream on it as you want while I nibble on your plump, delicious berries."


	22. The Letter

It had been over a week since Draconius last saw her husband. He had left on an important mission for the Ministry, tracking down known supporters for the Order who were believed to be hiding in a wooded area outside of Hogsmeade.

It was a big job, because Scabior wasn't usually offered the chance to hunt down someone other than mudbloods and rouge students that were supposed to be in school. But, every now and then, the Ministry would use Scabior and his men to help them find someone who was causing them trouble, and they knew that Scabior was the best person they could call on to get the job done. And if he succeeded, he would get paid extra for all his time and effort.

Scabior shook the rainwater out of his hair, his nose running from the cold. The rains had stopped for now, but the leaves and branches overhead were still dripping from the heavy downpour that had ended half an hour ago. A light mist clung to the trees, and a chill was in the air, which smelled fresh and clean from the passing storm.

He'd taken shelter from the storm beneath a rocky outcrop surrounded by overgrown manzanita bushes and pine trees. It was nothing more than an embankment, a wide dirt path stretching out on either side of him which led off into the forest. The sloping hill rose high above his head, creating a small recess with enough overhanging bushes, trailing vines and dense weeds to keep most of the rain from from falling on him. It was when the wind changed direction and blew sideways through the trees that he couldn't avoid getting soaked in the downpour.

To pass the time while he waited out the storm, Scabior had taken a crumpled piece of parchment out of one of the many pockets that lined his heavy leather jacket, along with a half empty bottle of ink and a bent feather from a different pocket in his jacket. Scabior always kept a scrap or two of parchment on him in case he needed to write something. And since he was alone with nothing else to do while the storm passed by, he decided to write his wife a letter.

_dear draconius,_

_ow are you an melody? me, im stuck out ere in the bloody storm, freezin my arse off as usual. itll be a miracle if i don get sick out ere. though all things considered, i avet been ill alf as often as i used to, thanks to tha lovely christmas present you gave me last year. i still cant believe you cleaned me out like tha, but it was worth it, i suppose. avent ad to deal with being constantly sick for a while now._

_i miss both of you very much, but im afraid i won't be ome tonight, pet. the mission is a mess, an it doesnt elp tha greyback ate the only person we ad with information on the whereabouts of our targets. now we ave to go back an retrace our steps in the woods. which, by the way, is ow i ended up caught in the rain in the first place, an try to find any trace of our targets magical signature tha we can follow in order to track them down._

_the people im working with are morons who dont know their arse from a ole in the ground. when this is over, i will ave to speak with umbridge about finding some more competent men. also, id really appreciate it if you would send me a thicker pair of socks with the owl im sending you. the way things are going, it looks like i might be out ere for awhile, love. an a little somethin extra to elp keep my feet warm would be nice._

The Snatcher paused in his writing, his wet sheet of parchment spread out on his knee. He was about to finish his letter when a thought occurred to him, and he decided to add a bit more to his letter.

\--------------

Scabior's letter arrived at his house the next morning, all crumpled and wet from the rain. When Draconius plucked it from the owl that was carrying it and attempted to read her husband's horrible handwriting, she found the letter was almost impossible to read. The ink was smudged, and in some places had run halfway down the sheet of parchment, with the occasional streaks and spots of mud splattered across it.

Draconius held the parchment up to the light, squinting at it and turning it this way and that. She brought it close to her nose, trying to make out the atrocious writing when suddenly her teenaged daughter came along and snatched the letter out of her mother's hands.

"Oh, a letter from dad, ay?" she said cheerfully, smiling at her mother. "Well, let's see what it says then."

Melody took the letter and began reading from it like it was a printed book. She could do this because, when she was little, her father taught her how to write, and she became so used to his terrible handwriting that she could easily read the untidy scrawl on the piece of parchment.

"Aww, it says he misses us, mum," said Melody, pouring over the letter with ease as she translated her father's writing. "Damn, he won't come home tonight. Says he's been caught out in a storm and that half the people he's working with are idiots." She paused, wincing as she read the next line. "Greyback ate someone. One of the prisoners with important information. Now they're screwed and have to start over in their search."

Draconius stood off to the side, listening to her daughter read Scabior's letter. She was amazed that anyone could read his handwriting.

"He says he loves us and hopes he'll be home soon," Melody continued. She then froze, staring at the parchment with wide eyes, as she reached the end of the letter where Scabior started going into explicit details about all the things he was going to do to Draconius once he got home. She read one sentence of the graphic details and screamed, dropping the letter like it was on fire.

"Melody, what's wrong?" Draconius asked, looking at her daughter with concern. She glanced down at the letter on the floor, and could just barely make out something about a kitchen table, chocolate sauce, and eating strawberries out of a very unusual location.


	23. Midnight Snack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The character Cordelia was created by alyssialui, and is being used with permission. Cordelia is not mine. I'm just borrowing her for this story. If you would like to read more about her, please visit alyssialui's profile on Fanfiction.net and read the story Daddy's Little Girl.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Of course it is."

"But mummy said - " Melody didn't get to finish her sentence, because the next thing she knew a large bag of flour toppled from the shelf and landed on top of the two girls.

Cordelia had climbed on Melody's shoulders, and was attempting to reach the bags of flour and sugar on the shelf in the pantry. The little girl was spending the weekend with Scabior and his family while Tom was away on business. And she decided, at half past three in the morning, that she wanted pancakes and wasn't waiting for Melody's parents to wake up and cook for her.

The sack of flour hit the floor and ripped open in a cloud of white powder, leaving both girls covered in a layer of flour. There was a brief pause before Cordelia took a deep breath and cried, "I'm dirty!"

Melody looked down at the mess of flour that covered her purple nightgown and grinned. "Wicked."

At first Melody wasn't sure about joining her friend in the kitchen and making pancakes. It didn't sound like fun, cooking, measuring and preparing a meal. But once she realized how messy it could be, Melody decided that cooking could be lots of fun.

Cordelia patted her pajama top, trying to dust off and remove the excess flour that was clinging to her clothes. Meanwhile Melody had grabbed the corner of the sack of flour, and was attempting to haul it across the floor and into the kitchen.

The two girls began carrying sacks of flour and sugar into the kitchen. Though Cordelia was the only one who actually carried the sack of sugar. Melody drug her sack of flour across the floor, leaving a trail of white powder behind her. They continued gathering ingredients until they had everything they needed to make pancakes.

"What kind of pancakes are we gonna make?" asked Melody. "Daddy likes blueberries in his pancakes. Can we make some blueberry pancakes for him?"

"I want to make banana pancakes," said the older of the two girls.

"But can't we make both?"

Cordelia thought about this for a moment, then nodded and said yes, they could make both.

"Yay!" Melody cheered happily, flour flying in all directions as she bounced up and down. "But how do we make 'em? Mummy uses magic to make the stove get hot. And we can't use magic yet."

Cordelia gave her a look that said, "You have got to be kidding me."

"What?" said Melody, looking slightly confused. "Why are you lookin' at me like that?"

"You don't know how to use magic?"

Melody shook her head. "No."

Cordelia sighed. "Alright. I make them and you can get the fruit."

"'Kay." Melody smiled at the older girl then looked up at the counter. There were bananas and a bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen counter, but she was too little to reach it. So she went to the table and started pushing one of the chairs out towards the counter.

Cordelia looked back at the little girl when she heard her friend grunting with exertion as she tried to push the chair across the floor.

"Cordelia, help me," Melody whined. "I can't do this by myself."

Cordelia helped her, and together they managed to move the chair over to the counter. Melody then climbed on top and reached for the bunch of bananas, grabbing them and accidentally squeezing them a little too hard.

A thick yellow paste oozed out onto her fingers as the ripe banana squished in her hand. Melody giggled, pleased to be making a bigger mess, and handed the bananas to Cordelia, who backed away and hesitated slightly before taking the fruit from her. She then stood on her tip toes, straining and reaching across the counter for the bowl of fruit that was just out of reach. Melody's fingers brushed the edge of the bowl, and she slammed her hand down on the rim, causing the bowl to tip over and the fruit to go flying out onto the counter.

Cordelia gasped and Melody grinned and laughed, watching as the grapes and berries became airborne. "It's raining fruit!" Melody cried happily, as fruit spilled out across the kitchen counter and onto the floor.

When she jumped down off the chair, Melody landed in the spilled grapes and blueberries, stepping on them and leaving purple and green stains on the floor. She gathered up a bunch of blueberries, still smiling at the older girl as Cordelia looked at the mess on the floor.

"Your house elf is going to have a lot of cleaning to do," said Cordelia.

"We don't have one of those," said Melody. "But that's okay. Daddy makes way bigger messes in the kitchen when he drinks a lot. Usually in the sink when he throws up 'cause he can't make it to the bathroom in time. And sometimes on the floor too."

Cordelia stared at her in disbelief. "Your dad throws up in the sink?"

"Not always. Only when he's sick."

Cordelia didn't know how to respond to this. She stood there in silence as Melody gathered up as much fruit as she could hold, using her nightgown like a basket to hold the blueberries she picked up off the floor.

"You ready?" asked Melody.

Cordelia blinked then glanced back at the stove. "We need a pan," she said. "Where does your mum keep the pots and pans?"

"In there," said Melody, indicating with a nod towards the cupboard beside her.

Cordelia set the bunch of bananas down and opened the cupboard, where she saw two rows of neatly stacked pots and pans. She reached into the cupboard, grabbing a pan by its handle and yanking it out of the cupboard. Unfortunately when she did this the rest of the pots and pans came spilling out onto the floor, making a loud noise as they rattled and clanged.

Upstairs in the bedroom, Scabior heard the noise and came awake with a start. He looked over at his wife, who was sound asleep and hadn't heard a thing. Typical Draconius. That woman could sleep through a heard of hippogriffs stampeding through the house.

Scabior sat up in bed and eased the covers off, reaching for his wand on the nightstand and picking up the length of ivy. He muttered a brief incantation that caused the tip of his wand to flare to life in the dark, providing him with enough light to see before heading out the door.

He made his way downstairs, the moonlight filtering through the curtains and shining on the floor, bathing the hardwood surface in a faint silver glow. He turned around when he heard voices coming from the kitchen, and recognized the sound of his daughter's voice as she giggled and laughed, followed by Cordelia's voice and the sound of something hitting the floor.

Scabior opened the kitchen door, and found the girls sitting in a shaft of moonlight on the floor, his daughter covered from head to toe in flour, a bowl of mashed bananas in her lap. She had peeled several bananas and was using her hands to mash them a bowl. The bottoms of her feet were stained with blue blotches from where she had stepped in the blueberries and tracked them across the kitchen floor, and there were spots of berry juice on both her face and nightgown.

Cordelia wasn't half as dirty and was only lightly dusted with flour, most of which she had managed to brush off and was now attempting to use a wet dishrag to clean the remaining flour off her pajamas. The end result was the little girl being covered in wet clumps of flour, her pajamas soggy and dripping with water.

"Wha are you girls doing in 'ere?" Scabior asked, looking at the mess they'd made.

"We're making pancakes!" said Melody.

"You're making a mess is wha you're doing, pet." Scabior held his wand aloft, letting the light shine on the flour and squashed fruit that covered the floor. He shook his head and stepped into the kitchen. "An you couldn't wait until morning for someone to make you breakfast?"

"Daddy makes pancakes for me whenever I want," said Cordelia. "Sometimes I have pancakes at four o' clock in the morning."

"Yeah, well I'm not your dad, sweet'eart."

Scabior stepped over the mess on the floor, and made his way over to where his daughter was sitting. He tucked his wand under his arm and bend down to pick up Melody. "Look at you," he said, unable to keep a grin from spreading across his face as he looked at the messy four year old. "You look like you've been rolling in flour."

"Cordelia said she wanted banana pancakes, so I'm helping, daddy," Melody explained. "I told her you like blueberry pancakes, and I wanted to make some for you. So I gots the blueberries off the counter, but I couldn't reach them and they rolled all over the floor."

"Yes, I see tha," said Scabior, glancing down at the squished berries that covered the kitchen floor. He was touched by his daughter wanting to include him in their little late night cooking adventure, though he wished they hadn't made such a mess in the process.

"Mister Scabior," said Cordelia tentatively. "Does this mean that we don't get to have pancakes?"

Scabior didn't feel like cooking at three in the morning. However he knew what would happen if Cordelia didn't get her way. He'd heard horror stories from Severus about what happened when the Dark Lord's daughter got upset, and he didn't want to provoke the wrath of Voldemort's little girl or her father. So he decided to make the most of it by going back upstairs, waking his wife up, and telling her they were having a late night pancake party in the kitchen.

By the time Draconius woke up and went downstairs, Scabior had already cleaned up the mess and was in the process of making pancakes for everyone. He had organized everything on the counter, with bananas, a bowl of blueberries and some peanutbutter and jelly for his wife.

Draconius was amazed when she saw what he had done. Rubbing sleeping from her eyes, she walked over to the stove and looked down at the jars of peanutbutter and strawberry jelly, her face illuminated by the flickering candles that lit the kitchen. "What's all this, Scabior?" she asked.

"The girls were 'ungry, so I decided to make them an early breakfast," said Scabior. "I even brought out everything I need to make peanutbutter and jelly pancakes, because I know those are your favorite, love."

His wife glanced over at the kitchen table where the two little girls were sitting, wide awake and eagerly awaiting their midnight snack. Scabior had magically cleaned them before he started cooking, and there wasn't an ounce of flour or a spot of berry juice on either of them.

"Scabior, I'm surprised at you," said Draconius, smiling at her husband. "You're really good with the girls, sweetie. And this looks delicious. It's been a while since I last had peanutbutter and jelly pancakes."

Scabior leaned over and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. "Anything for you, pet. Now 'ave a seat at the table an I'll 'ave breakfast ready in a couple minutes."


	24. Pink

There comes a time in every parent's life when their child starts showing signs of having magic. Usually it's something small, like levitating blocks or making their stuffed animals come to life. But for Scabior's daughter Melody, who was now four years old and had yet to show any signs of having magic, the first time she used magic wasn't quite what her parents were expecting.

It began one morning while Draconius was having a cup of tea and talking to her husband in the living room. At the time Scabior was still recovering from taking a tumble down the hill and landing in poison ivy, and had splotches of pink potion covering his arms that his wife had used to ease the incessant itching and help him heal.

Melody thought it was funny that her father was covered in large pink blotches, and had commented on it by saying he looked like a pink unicorn. Scabior didn't find this amusing, and for the last few days had been trying his best to ignore his daughter who kept calling him a unicorn and wanting to ride him around the house.

Draconius chuckled, finding the whole situation rather amusing as her husband grumbled and complained. "Come now, Scabior, don't you think it's rather cute that our daughter has affectionately taken to calling you her pet pink unicorn?"

"No," Scabior muttered irritably. "I'm not someone's pet, an I'm certainly not a unicorn. I'm surprised she hasn't turned me into an actual unicorn an tried to ride me around the 'ouse."

His wife laughed. Though in the back of her mind she wondered why their daughter had yet to show any signs of having magic. Melody was of the age when most children typically have their first bought of accidental magic, usually between the age of two and five. But so far Melody hadn't shown even the slightest sign of having magic.

"Scabior," Draconius began, her tone a bit more serious now. "Don't you think it's a bit odd that Melody hasn't used any sort of magic yet?"

"Not really," Scabior said with a shrug. "I didn't start using magic until I was six. It was during a fishing trip when my uncle brought 'ome loads of fish. I 'ated fish. Always 'ave, always will. But we were expected to eat it for dinner tha night, an my mum cooked it an dumped it on my plate, giving me nothing but a load of rotten fucking fish."

"Scabior, watch your language," his wife interrupted. "Our daughter is sitting right there listening to you."

Scabior rolled his eyes, looking like he couldn't have cared less if his daughter heard a curse word or two. "I didn't want to eat the fish," he continued. "I sat there staring at my plate, wishing tha I didn't 'ave to eat all tha nasty fish. I sort of clenched my fist a little, an the next thing I knew the fish was gone. My mum saw wha 'appened, an she was so excited tha she didn't even care tha I 'adn't eaten the fish." Scabior grinned. "I got pumpkin muffins an ice cream for dinner tha night. Everyone was so 'appy they let me eat wha'ever I wanted."

"That's actually quite impressive, being able to cast a vanishing charm at the age of six."

Scabior leaned back in his seat, a smug smile on his face. "An wha about you, love? When was your first bought of accidental magic?"

Draconius had to think about it for a minute before answering. "I was three, if I remember correctly. I had a nightmare, and when I woke up I mistook the cat on my bed for the monster in my dream. Not sure how I did it, but I somehow sent the cat flying off the bed."

"Tha's sad, pet," said Scabior in tones of mock seriousness. "Sent tha poor pussy flying, now didn't you? Though I admit I would 'ave liked to 'ave seen tha. Never seen a flying pussy before. Maybe you could get on your broom an - "

"Scabior!" Draconius hauled off and slapped him on the shoulder.

Scabior laughed, his daughter looking up from her toys at her parents. She didn't know what her father was talking about, but he certainly looked happy, laughing while her mother scolded him for using such words.

"She doesn't know wha tha means," said Scabior. "To 'er pussy is just another word for cat." Scabior leaned forward in his seat, his hands on his knees as he looked at his daughter and said, "Your mum is being a bit grumpy this morning, sweet'eart. Do you want to go outside an play for a while?"

Draconius glared at him, giving him that familiar look she always had plastered across her face when she was mad at him.

A smile lit up Melody's face. "Can we play unicorn in the yard? Please, daddy. I wanna play unicorn."

Draconius' frown faded, a smirk forming on her lips as she looked at her husband. "Yes, Scabior. Why don't you play unicorn with our daughter? You'd make such a lovely prancing unicorn, all covered in pink polkadots."

"No," Scabior said firmly. He'd had enough of being called a unicorn.

"But daddy," said Melody, beginning to pout.

"I said no, pet. Daddy is not a unicorn. I am a wizard, a person, not an animal. An even when I am an animal I'm a lynx. Daddy does not turn into a unicorn."

Melody hugged her plush unicorn, her bottom lip stuck out in an angry pout, her brow scrunched together as she glared at him. She looked so much like her mom when she did that. "But I want a unicorn, daddy," she whined loudly. "I want one! I want a pink unicorn!"

A loud shriek rang out through the living room as Draconius suddenly jumped out of her seat. "Scabior!" she exclaimed. "Your...your hair!"

"Wha? Wha about it?" Scabior reached behind his head, grabbed his braided ponytail and brought it forward in front of his face so he could take a look at it. His hair was now bright pink, and his daughter looked a bit to happy with this recent development, her expression changing from one of surprise to joy as she gazed up at him in awe.

Draconius looked from her daughter to Scabior's pink hair and back. It took a second for her to realize what had happened, and then she started to laugh. "Melody, did you do that?"

"I don't know," said Melody, hesitating slightly before she spoke. "I just wanted daddy to play unicorn with me."

Scabior yanked the ribbon out of his hair, allowing his thick mane of hair spill forward across his shoulders and down his chest. He looked at the pink strands in horror, unable to speak due to the shock of what had happened. His red streak was still visible though, as Melody had been unable to change all of his hair. And the magic that caused Scabior to have a red streak in his hair was permanent. It couldn't be changed or altered by any sort of magic, whether accidental or on purpose.

The look of absolute shock and horror on his face made the situation even more hilarious, and Draconius got down on the floor beside her daughter and gave Melody a hug, the two of them laughing at Scabior's new hair color.

"This isn't funny!" Scabior said once he'd finally found his voice.

"You're right, it isn't," said Draconius, tears of mirth and joy now spilling down her cheeks. "It's wonderful, Scabior! You know what this means, don't you? Our daughter is a witch. She's a witch, Scabior!"

Scabior huffed out an irritated sigh. He had to admit that it was a special moment, an important milestone in his daughter's life. It took a moment for his expression to soften, then he smiled. "Just change it back, pet," he told Draconius. "It'll be a lot easier for me to be 'appy about this when I don't 'ave flaming neon pink 'air."

"Right. Sorry about that, sweetie." Draconius slipped her wand out of her pocket, and with a brief wave she changed Scabior's hair back to its usual dark brown. "I'm so proud of her, Scabior. Our little girl can use magic. Though all things considered, you're lucky she didn't turn you into an actual unicorn."


	25. The Scarf

For as long as she had known him, Scabior had always liked to wear scarves. His favorite was a plaid scarf that was pink with traces of grey and purple. He had many scarves, and switched them every couple of days. But the one he liked the most was his pink plaid scarf.

He was wearing his pink scarf when Draconius first met him, and for a while that was all she knew about him was that he liked to wear scarves.

She watched him from afar, sitting at the Ravenclaw table while he sat across from her with his fellow Slytherin students, laughing and cracking dirty jokes. She'd asked about him before, mentioning him to one of the girls in her year and asking, "Who's that boy with the scarf?"

Draconius couldn't remember Scabior's name. So for a while she referred to him as "the boy with the scarf." She later shorted that to Scarf Boy, a name that still made Scabior laugh years later whenever his wife reminded him of the first nickname she ever gave him.

He was two years older than she was, and for the first few years he'd known her, Draconius called him Scarf Boy. The name stuck even after they met and started getting to know each other. She called him that in anger when she was mad at him. She also used it playfully when she was in a good mood.

No matter how she used his nickname, it never failed to amuse Scabior, a smile playing across his lips whenever he heard her call him that. Which wasn't always the best reaction, not when she was mad at him and the name Scarf Boy came out in the middle of her rant. He chuckled and grinned, watching as she grew more annoyed by the minute.

"What's so funny?" Draconius asked.

"Tha name," Scabior snorted, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. "I'm sorry, pet, but I find tha 'ilarious, I do."

"You would," Draconius huffed, folding her arms across her chest. It was hard for her to stay mad at him when he was laughing and smiling, his pleasant voice and adorable smile calming her nerves.

"One of these days I'm going to give you a reason to remember my name," said Scabior. "I'm going to make you moan an scream my name, over an over, all night long. An by the time I'm done with you, you'll never forget my again. Trust me, pet. The name Scabior is one you'll want to remember."

Scabior stayed true to his word, and it was during his last year at Hogwarts that he went to bed with Draconius for the first time. He knew he'd be graduating soon, and wouldn't be able to see her until summer vacation. So he wanted to leave her with something to remember him by, something she'd never forget. And ever since then Draconius never forgot his name. She always remembered Scabior, and sought him out after graduating two years later to continue their relationship.

\------------

Scabior still remembered the days when she used to call him Scarf Boy. They were married now, with a four year old daughter, and Draconius hadn't called him that in years. Not since that faithful night before his graduation. And he still wore the same pink plaid scarf that he had all those years ago.

Draconius sometimes teased him about his scarf. She said, "That faded relic is the reason why we're together. If it weren't for your scarf and my being unable to recall your name, we might not have gotten together."

Scabior smiled, running his fingers over the worn piece of fabric that hung around his neck. "You think so, love? I thought it was my performance in bed the drew you back to me. It certainly fixed tha little problem you 'ad with remembering my name, sweet'eart."

"It was more than that, Scabior. It was many things. Because you're more than an old scarf and a night in bed. You're everything to me. You're all I ever wanted and more."

It pleased him to hear her say that. Though neither one of them could deny the fact that his pink scarf had played an important role in their coming together.

These days, whenever Scabior had to leave for work for long periods of time, he sometimes gave Draconius his pink scarf before he left. He told her that his scarf had brought them together in the past, and would help keep them together in the present.

It seemed kind of silly, Draconius thought, as she lie awake in bed one night with her husband's scarf draped across her shoulders. To be brought together by a worn, faded piece of fabric. How could something as simple as a scarf actually bring two people together? And why did it still mean so much to her even after all these years?

She brought the scarf to her nose and inhaled its aroma. It smelled like him, like the warm, peppery smell of firewhiskey mingled with a hint of dirt and dry leaves from his time spent in the woods. Maybe that's why she loved his scarf so much. It smelled like him, and it reminded her of all they'd done and been through together.

She held the fabric against her cheek, feeling how soft the thin, worn fabric felt. It brought to mind the time they'd first met in the Forbidden Forest, when Scabior had accidentally stepped in a rabbit hole while running through the trees and sprained his ankle. She had wrapped his ankle with his scarf, then allowed him to lean on her for support as she helped him walk back to the castle.

That's how it began. And later, when their daughter was born, Draconius could remember watching as Scabior held their baby girl in his arms, gently rocking her and singing to her, when all of a sudden Melody's tiny little hand shot out and started yanking on his pink scarf.

Draconius laughed as their little girl playfully tugged on her father's scarf, watching as a smile lit up Melody's face as she giggled and laughed. And when she got older, Scabior let her wear his scarf to bed at night so she wouldn't be afraid of the imaginary monsters she thought were hiding in the closet.

Draconius remembered that night fondly as she closed her eyes and began to drift off to sleep. She remembered watching from the doorway of Melody's bedroom as her husband tucked Melody into bed. He bent down and smoothed the strands of dark hair out of her face, then placed a kiss on her forehead. He told her that she was safe, and that he had cast protection charms on his scarf to keep the monsters away.

His wife knew that he didn't really cast protection charms on his scarf, but it was what Melody needed to hear, to know that she was loved and safe. For even though the spells weren't real, his love for his only child was. And that in itself was a powerful type of magic, the most powerful magic there was.

Just as Draconius was about to fall asleep, she heard footsteps moving across the floor and towards the bed. Her eyelids fluttered open, and there stood Melody in her purple nightgown, clutching her plush unicorn.

"What are you doing out of bed, sweetie?" Draconius asked.

"I couldn't sleep, mummy," Melody whimpered, hugging her plush unicorn against her chest. "Daddy's gone. I miss daddy."

Draconius pulled the covers back on the bed and patted the mattress. "Come here, sweetie. Come lay down with mummy."

She helped her daughter into bed, then scooted over to make room for her and arranged the scarf so that it was draped across the both of them as they lay in bed together.

Melody snuggled close to her mother, her father's scarf wrapped loosely around her neck and shoulders.

"You see, Melody. We still have your father's scarf," Draconius explained, speaking softly to her in the same comforting tone Scabior has used when he told her she was safe from the monsters in the closet. "And as long as we have that, it's like a part of him is still here with us. This way daddy's never far from us. And no matter where he is, or how long he's away, he will always love us, Melody."

Melody closed her eyes, feeling more relaxed and content as she lay next to her mother. It comforted her, knowing that something of her father was still close by, and that he would always love her. And with that thought she drifted off to sleep, safe and sound beside her mother as they awaited Scabior's return.


	26. Dancing

She didn't have her mother's eyes, but she had her mother's smile. Her eyes, which were a pale shade of blue-grey, were so much like his own. She was daddy's little girl. And although her eyes weren't the same shade of dark olive green that her mother had, she shared his love of music, as well as his love of food and dancing.

Melody Rose broke away from her mother, running out onto the dance floor as fast as her little feet could carry her. "Daddy!" she cried, holding her hands up high, wanting to be picked up as she reached her father's side.

Scabior looked down at her and grinned. "'Ello little one. Wha are you doing 'ere? Aren't you supposed to be with your mum?"

"Mummy didn't want to dance. She says she gots two left feets," Melody chirped in her adorable little baby voice. Her father laughed at her choice of words, and at his wife for saying that she didn't know how to dance.

The Snatcher bent down and picked up his little girl, making sure to smooth out the creases in her dress after picking her up and holding her against his chest, her feet and legs around his waist as she wrapped her arms around him.

She was wearing her favorite dress, which was a beautiful shade of sea green, trimmed in white lace around the bottom, with many layers and folds of material, giving her the appearance of a large, green flower in her daddy's arms.

It had taken him nearly an hour to get her dressed, as she fussed over not wanting to wear shoes and fancy dresses. She liked going barefoot, the soles of her feet blackened and dirty from running around barefoot in the yard.

Scabior tried to get her cleaned up for the party he and his wife were going to, but she was very ticklish, and she squirmed and laughed as he tried to clean her feet. He sat her down, trying to hold her steady as he used a wet washcloth dipped in warm water to wash her feet.

"'Old still," he said, as she giggled and kicked her feet.

"Noooo!" she squealed. "Daddy, stop!" But Scabior was determined to get her cleaned up for the party.

"It'll be fun, sweet'eart," said Scabior. "There will be music an dancing, an loads of food too."

Melody stopped fussing, looking up at him with those blue-grey eyes that mirrored his own. "Do I have to dress up, daddy?"

"Well, I would prefer if you went as you are, pet. But your mum wants you to look presentable." He rolled his eyes, looking as though he thought the idea was ridiculous, that there was nothing wrong with his daughter being covered in grass stains and dirt, her long brown hair hanging in a tangled mess around her face.

She was his daughter, and he thought she looked fine the way she was. But Scabior knew that his wife would throw a fit if she saw the way Melody looked.

"Tell you wha, sweet'eart. If you be a good little girl an let daddy clean you up for the party, I'll let you wear your favorite dress. You know, the green one with lace. You like tha one, don't you?"

There was only one dress that Melody liked to wear, and all it took was her father mentioning her favorite dress to get her to calm down so he could finish cleaning her, though she still squirmed and giggled a bit as he finished washing her feet. But at least she had settled down now.

When they arrived at the party, Melody was quick to run out onto the dance floor, the music playing all around them as she practically flung herself into her father's waiting arms. He picked her up, and began to move and sway in time with the music as he held her.

He spun her around, lifting her up high in the air as she squealed and laughed, then sat her down on the floor, taking her hands and helping her to dance. She moved with him across the floor, and he spun her around again as the music continued to play.

No one who saw him would have believed that this was the same man who made a living snatching muggleborns and turning them over to the Ministry. Scabior was working for the dark side, but he too had a family that he loved very much. He did what he could to provide for them, and tried his best to be a hard working, loving father.


	27. Cream Puff

Scabior held his daughter's hand as they moved along the buffet table. The Snatcher looked at the salads, breads, pasta and pastries available on the table. He saw a plate piled high with delicious looking cream puffs, picked one of them up, and took a bite.

It tasted awful, like the cream was spoiled and the bread was stale.

Scabior made a face. His daughter giggled as she saw the expression of pure disgust on her father's face. He then looked around to make sure no one else was watching, and spit the mouthful of cream out in the punch bowl.

He moved down the table until he came to a lemon meringue pie, and sampled it by running his finger along the top of the pie through the whipped topping. He then stuck his finger in his mouth, unaware of the fact that Draconius and Narcissa were watching him from the opposite end of the room.

Narcissa sighed and rolled her eyes. "Look at him, Draconius. Doesn't he have any class or manners? I thought you were trying to teach him how to behave in public."

"I'm sorry," said Draconius. "I'll speak to him at once about his behavior." But before she could could reach him, Lucius came over and started lecturing Scabior on his behavior just as the Snatcher picked up a slice of pie and began eating it without any silverware.

"Look at you," said Lucius, frowning in disgust. "You're eating out of your hands like some filthy animal. And don't think I didn't see what you did in the punch bowl."

"The cream was rotten, Lucius," said Scabior around a mouthful of pie. "It tasted sour. An I would know what sour cream tastes like, because I 'ad Bellatrix once before she was married."

The reaction from Lucius was priceless. He recoiled like he'd been slapped in the face, and took several steps back, placing a hand over his mouth like he was going to be sick.

"Daddy, you're funny," said Melody, grinning as she looked up at her father. She didn't know what he was talking about, or that her father was only telling a joke, but Lucius' reaction followed by Scabior laughing was enough to make her laugh as well.

"I know, sweet'eart," said Scabior, sticking his finger in the pie and dabbing a bit of meringue on the tip of his daughter's nose.

Melody laughed and smiled at him. In her mind there was nothing wrong with her father's severe lack of manners. Because to her he was the best dad in the world.


	28. What Does Mummy Do?

Scabior was sitting at the kitchen table with his daughter one morning, the two of them having breakfast together when Melody suddenly asked, "What does mummy do?"

Scabior was chewing a mouthful of pancakes smothered in syrup when she asked this question, and it took him a moment to finish chewing and swallow before speaking. "Wha do you mean 'wha does mummy do'?" he asked.

"Mummy's job," his four year old chirrped. "You snatch people with bad blood. What does mummy do?"

"Bad blood," Scabior chuckled, a grin on his face at his daughter's choice of words. "They're called mudbloods, sweet'eart. It means they are very valuable to daddy an 'e can turn them in an make money off them."

Draconius, who was in the process of making more pancakes for her husband and daughter, sat the bowl of pancake batter down on the counter and took a seat at the table beside her daughter. "You want to know what mummy's job is, sweetie?"

"Yes, yes!" Melody said, bouncing excitedly in her seat. "Please tell me."

"Alright, settle down, honey. You know how daddy often gets sick and mummy has to take care of him?"

"Uh-huh." Melody nodded.

Scabior didn't look pleased by her interest and enthusiasm. The last thing he needed was another healer in the family, poking and prodding him, giving him a disapproving look while lecturing him on his drinking habits.

"Mummy gets paid to take care of people who are sick or hurt," Draconius explained. "That's my job. I work at the hospital taking care of people and making them feel better."

Melody's eyes widened. "You make money making people feel better?"

Scabior groaned. "Don't encourage 'er," he said, tucking another forkful of pancakes into his mouth. The words were barely out of his mouth when Draconius had summoned some of her medical textbooks, levitating them onto the table and opening them for their daughter to have a look.

The curious child leaned forward in her seat, looking at the pictures in the books. She began pointing at the pictures, asking questions and wanting to know what certain things were. Scabior frowned, trying his best to ignore their conversation as Draconius began giving their daughter a lesson on human anatomy, diseases, and potions and spells that could be used to cure various illnesses, all of which the little girl found fascinating.

The four year old hung on to her mother's every word, listening and learning as Draconius explained things to her. She made sure to keep her explanations simple so Melody could understand what she was telling her, and answered her questions to the best of her ability whenever Melody asked her something.

"What's that?" Melody asked, pointing to one of the pictures in the book.

"That is the appendix," said Draconius. "It's a small, worm-shaped organ in your tummy. Sometimes it becomes inflamed, or swells up, and has to be removed."

"What makes it swell up, mummy?"

Draconius looked at her husband. "You want to explain this to her, Scabior?"

Scabior glared at his wife. He really didn't want to get drug into this conversation. But his daughter was looking at him expectantly, and there didn't seem to be a way out of this. So he thought about it for a minute and said, "Toothbrush bristles. Tha's wha makes your appendix go bad. Every time a toothbrush bristle comes out an you swallow it, it sticks in your appendix an turns it rotten."

"That isn't true," said Draconius.

Scabior shrugged. "Tha's wha my mum always told me. She said tha when you swallow a toothbrush bristle it sticks in your appendix an turns it rotten. It always made me nervous when I was brushing my teeth an found a bristle on my tongue. I figured tha, if swallowed enough of them, I'd end up getting appendicitis. Which I did."

"Yes, but it wasn't because of that, Scabior. You get appendicitis from having a blockage in your appendix that causes an infection."

"An the blockage is toothbrush bristles."

Draconius sighed. Sometimes her husband was impossible to deal with.

Melody looked up at her father. "What was it like when you got sick, daddy? Did mummy cut you open? Did you cry? Did you bleed?"

"No, sweet'eart, she didn't cut me open. Which is surprising because I 'onestly thought she would. An I didn't cry or bleed. Grown men don't cry, Melody."

"That is also incorrect," said Draconius. "You clung to me and cried, begging me not to operate on you because you were afraid I'd have to cut you open."

"Really?" Scabior looked puzzled. "I don't remember tha. I was delirious from pain an fever, so I'm afraid I don't remember most of wha 'appened."

"Well you didn't get sick because of toothbrush bristles turning your appendix rotten. Appendicitis is caused by a blockage, usually a mass of waste matter from the intestines."

Scabior snorted just as he was taking a sip of milk, and nearly spit his drink back in his glass. "Are you saying I'm full of shit, pet?"

That was too much for Draconius, and she fell across the table laughing. "Yes, Scabior, that's exactly what your problem is. You're so full of it your guts exploded!"

Melody looked from her mother, who was laughing hysterically while laying across a pile of open textbooks, to her father who had a look of shock plastered on his face. "Does that mean daddy can't make poo?" she asked.

Scabior's mouth fell open as he looked at his daughter, and Draconius laughed even harder.

"No wonder daddy is so grumpy," said Melody. "People always get grumpy when they can't make poo."


	29. Home For The Holidays

She knew that something was wrong the moment she set foot on the platform, the cold winds making her shiver as she pulled her cloak around her for warmth. The winter winds were deathly cold, with minute flakes of snow drifting down from the heavens above, the grey clouds hanging low as though the sky were falling and had gotten stuck midway through its descent.

Melody looked up at the bruised and blackened clouds. This wasn't how she planned on spending her Christmas vacation, her body aching and her stomach twisting in an uncomfortable knot. She swallowed hard, forcing her breakfast back down her throat, then trembled as she felt another cold gust of wind blowing down the lane.

All she wanted was to go home and rest, to see her parents and relax in bed, far away from this castle of cold stones and snow covered mountains. She exhaled slowly, willing herself not to get sick in front of the other students, then boarded the train and began her long journey home for the holidays.

She chose a compartment that was located on the far end of the train, close to the bathrooms and away from the other students. The cool glass felt good against her feverishly hot skin as she slumped against the window, her eyes closing as her stomach started cramping again.

Melody held her stomach and moaned. She kept her eyes closed as she curled up in a ball in her seat, sliding down the window until only her forehead was pressed against the glass. How she managed to get through the entire train ride without getting sick she didn't know. She was just glad to see her parents waiting for her at the station, her father whisking her away into his arms the minute he saw her stumble onto the platform, one hand wrapped around her waist as she trembled and shook with feverish chills.

"Wha's wrong, sweet'eart?" Scabior asked, looking at her with concern as he noticed the flushed features of her face, her once bright eyes glazed over as she looked up at him.

"I'm sick," Melody whimpered, snuggling against his chest.

Scabior looked at his wife, and Draconius placed the back of her hand against Melody's cheek.

"She's burning up, Scabior. We need to get her home and put her to bed."

\--------------

Before long the little girl was home and in bed, her mother sitting beside her on the edge of the mattress. It felt good to be home again, resting in her soft, comfortable bed, surrounded by her loving family and her collection of plush animals that lined the shelves on her dresser.

Draconius examined her, and determined that Melody had a mild case of the flu. "This is why I tell you to take your anti-flu potion," she said. "If you and your father listened to me and took the potion like you're supposed to, you wouldn't get sick as often as you do when the flu and cold season rolls around."

"She doesn't want to take tha potion for the same reason tha I don't take it," said Scabior. The head Snatcher was leaning against the doorframe, his arms folded over his chest as he watched his wife tend to their sick daughter. "It tastes terrible. She can't swallow tha foul concoction an keep it down anymore than I can. Isn't tha right, sweet'eart?"

Melody cringed and pulled the covers over her head. "That stuff is nasty! I don't like it. It tastes like skunk butt."

Draconius grabbed the corner of the blanket and tugged on it, revealing her daughter's flushed face as the little girl glared at her. "And how do you know what skunk butt tastes like? I don't think those animal crackers you like come in butt flavor."

Scabior chuckled. "She takes after me, love."

"You encourage her to be like this," Draconius shot back. "I'd expect this kind of behavior from a child, but you are a grown man, Scabior. Which means when you are given a potion you don't like, you hold your nose and drink it anyway."

"I'm not drinking something tha tastes like arse. An part of being an adult means tha I get to choose whether or not I want to do something."

Draconius sighed and rolled her eyes. She didn't feel like arguing with her husband. And long about now she'd heard enough of his excuses, as he lied and made up stories to get out of taking his potions.

She gave Melody a potion to help relieve her upset stomach, then placed a damp washcloth on her forehead. Surprisingly, Melody drank the potion without making a fuss. Though you could tell from the look on her face that she didn't like the potion's horrible taste.

"You see, Scabior?" said Draconius. "Even a child is more well behaved than you are."

\-----------------

Later that night as Draconius was asleep in bed, she was awoken by a small hand tugging on the corner of the bedsheets.

"Mum? Mum, are you awake?"

Draconius slowly opened her eyes, and saw her daughter standing there in her pink flannel nightgown. "What's wrong, sweetie? Is everything alright?"

"I threw up," Melody confessed, hanging her head as she stared down at the carpet. "I tried to get to the bathroom in time, but it just sorta happened...while I was in bed."

"It's alright, sweetie," said Draconius, speaking gently to her little girl. "The potion I gave you must have worn off. But don't worry, baby. Just lie down on the couch for a few minutes while I take care of it."

"I'm sorry, mum..."

"There's no need to apologize. Everyone gets sick sometimes. Just lay down and I'll have everything cleaned up a couple minutes."

Melody went to the living room and laid down on the couch, while her mother took care of the mess in the bedroom. She shivered as she hunkered down beneath one of her spare blankets, her tired body aching as she curled up in a ball on her side. She felt a little better since she threw up, but she knew this illness was far from being over.

Her mother was able to magically clean the bedsheets in a matter of seconds. But while she was on her way to the living room, she noticed a faint light emanating from beneath the bathroom door. Draconius opened the door, and saw a lit candle flickering in the dark on the bathroom counter. She also noticed her husband, who had fallen asleep on the floor next to the toilet.

"Scabior?" she said, moving towards him and kneeling beside him on the floor. She placed a hand on his shoulder and gently shook him. "Scabior, are you alright?"

Her husband came awake slowly, blinking his eyes as he looked around the room in a daze. His cheeks were flushed, and there was a thin layer of perspiration that clung to his forehead. He must have been lying there for a while, because he had the imprint of the linoleum on his right cheek.

"Pet?" he said, barely aware of himself or his surroundings.

Draconius pushed his hair out of his face and felt his forehead. He was burning up with a fever. But he couldn't have caught it from Melody, since she had barely been home a full day from school. Meaning that he had to have been sick before she came home, and the illness hadn't been bad enough to make itself known until now.

"Oh sweetie, not you too," said Draconius.

Scabior stared at her, his vision blurring momentarily before he suddenly shot up off the floor and leaned over the toilet, his stomach heaving painfully as he emptied the contents of his stomach into the porcelain bowl.

His wife held his hair back, speaking softly to him as he retched and gagged. He then slid over onto his side, collapsing in slow motion onto the floor when the vomiting finally stopped. He was shaking uncontrollably, his teeth chattering as he curled into himself.

It took a few minutes for Draconius to coax him into getting up, and a few more minutes to help him stand and walk him back to bed. She placed a bucket beside the bed in case he got sick again, then went to the living room and picked up the shivering bundle on the couch and carried her into their bedroom.

She laid Melody on the mattress beside her father, then relit the candles in the bedroom with a brief flick of her wand. "I think it would be better if you slept here tonight," she said. "You might feel better having your father for company. And since both of you are sick, there's no need to worry about spreading it to each other."

Melody looked at her dad, his tired eyes mirroring her own as she settled down next to him. She felt so awful, and he looked as bad as she felt, if not worse because of the long, ragged strands of hair that had fallen across his face, the dark shadows under his eyes and the subtle traces of stubble forming on his cheeks.

Scabior sighed wearily. He rolled over onto his side, slipping one arm under his pillow as he made himself comfortable. He then looked up and noticed his wife had a bottle of an emerald green potion in her hand.

"Scabior," she said softly. "I think you should take something for your upset stomach before going to sleep. It'll make you feel better so you can get some rest."

"I don't want anything," he muttered into his pillow.

"Daddy," Melody murmured sleepily, her eyes closed as she prepared to go to sleep. "Just take it and go to sleep."

Draconius snorted. Melody took after her father alright. It wasn't always obvious, because her personality was a mixture of both her parents. But when she spoke, you could defintely tell that she was Scabior's daughter.

The Snatcher rolled over onto his back. "Fine. Give it 'ere then."

His wife poured some of the thick liquid into a spoon, then handed it to him. Scabior made a face as he swallowed the bitter mixture of herbs and powdered roots. It tasted like sour green apples and dirt. But it was over now, which meant he could relax and go to sleep.

Before long Scabior and his daughter were sound asleep. Draconius made sure they comfortable, then got a spare blanket and pillow out of the closet and dozed off on the floor beside them. By morning they would be feeling better. But for now they were resting peacefully, side by side, warm and comfortable, on this cold winter night.


	30. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story directly follows Home For the Holidays, and was inspired by a random plot bunny that came to me while I was watching a YouTube video called Feel The Fear.

The first thing he felt was heat. Scorching heat and intense flames that threatened to consume him. The flames were rising towards the heavens, with glowing embers dancing on the wind, swirling like fiery stars that embraced towers of smoke beneath the ashes of a blood red moon.

He knew that she was coming for him. She was a terrible creature, a dragon forged from the fires of Hell, with claws made from shining steel and wings like shadows that eclipsed the moon as she soared down from the heavens. She spoke only the blackest of lies and the darkest of hate, a creature born to feed off the suffering of others, devouring those that were sick or injured.

He heard her roar echoing in the distance as the trees shook with the sound of her voice, the leaves quivering as though they too sensed her arrival and trembled with fear as she approached. It was then that Scabior turned and ran, sprinting through the darkened woods, for the hunter had now become the hunted.

As he ran, Scabior reached up and felt the material wrapped around his neck, a plaid scrap of fabric that was torn and flying out behind him in pieces on the wind. There were enchantments on his scarf that would repel her, driving her back into the fires from whence she came. But the worn fabric had begun to disintegrate, coming apart thread by thread as its frayed edges unravelled.

"Daddy!" a voice called out suddenly. "Daddy, please, you have to stop!"

Scabior came to an abrupt halt, the dry leaves scattering in all directions as he skidded to a stop at the bottom of a hill. He thought he saw his daughter standing there beneath the shadows of a tall oak tree. But this was not his little girl. She was a child of the beast, a demon spawned from the ferocious monster that was chasing him, and she was not to be trusted.

"Father, where are you going? You have to stop!"

"No!" Scabior shouted, his voice cracking as he spoke. "I 'ave to get away from 'ere. I can't stop. I won't! An if you were any child of mine, you'd make sure she doesnt catch me."

Melody conjured a ball of fire in her hand, hurling it at him and missing by a hairsbreadth as the tree beside him erupted in golden flames. She was about to launch another fireball in his direction when the dragon came crashing down through the trees, roaring and spouting flames towards the blackened skies above.

Scabior swallowed hard, clutching his throat as he felt the last remnants of his tattered scarf fall away. He felt the familiar sensation of tightness closing around his airway, his saliva turning to acid that licked at his insides, making it impossible for him to speak.

He backed against a tree as the dragon approached him, observing him, watching as he gasped and struggled to breathe. Scabior tried to scream but only managed a hoarse whimper, his eyes darting from left to right as he looked for anyone who could save him. But the only person he saw was Melody, who was laughing and gleefully wringing her hands as she watched the scene unfold before her.

The dragon came closer, reaching towards him and hooking the tip of her claw under his chin, tilting his head upwards so he was looking her right in the eye. Her steel claws glinted in the moonlight as she slowly ran the tip of her claw down his neck, over his Adam's apple and across the pulsing artery in his throat.

"Speak!" she commanded.

Scabior shook his head, his mouth opening as a ragged whisper escaped his lips, his body trembling beneath her fierce gaze.

The dragon snarled and backed away, glaring at him as though he had uttered some blasphemous curse. She reared up on her hind legs, slashing at him with her claws just as Scabior ducked and ran, fleeing the forest and out onto a bridge.

The dragon followed him, setting fire to the wooden planks as she burned the bridge behind him. The smoldering boards turned to ash, the bridge collapsing as he ran, and the next thing Scabior knew he was falling into darkness.

\-------------

Scabior awoke with a start, his wife holding a damp washcloth to his forehead as his eyes darted around their dimly lit bedroom, frantically searching for any sign of the dragon that haunted his dreams. His gaze settled on Draconius' face, and Scabior screamed and tumbled out of bed, taking half the bedsheets with him and waking his daughter in the process.

"Scabior!" Draconius exclaimed, kneeling beside him on the floor.

He tried to run, but the sheets were tangled around his legs, preventing him from moving as he tried clawing his way across the carpet. His chest was heaving as he rapidly drew air into his lungs, and there was perspiration dripping from his cheeks, his bedsheets soaked in cold sweat.

"What is the matter with you?" Draconius asked, looking at him with concern as he tried crawling away from her. "Calm down. You're going to give yourself a heart attack."

She sat down next to him, speaking softly and stroking his hair as he lay trembling on the floor. It took a moment for his senses to return, and Scabior gradually relaxed as he became aware of his surroundings. He remembered that she wasn't a vicious dragon, that she was his wife and she would never hurt him. Her soothing touch and gentle words helped him relax, until his eyes started to close and he began to fall asleep.

Draconius looked back and saw Melody on her hands and knees on the edge of the mattress, looking down at her father. "He's alright, Melody," Draconius said, still stroking Scabior's hair. "He must have had a nightmare. Though I wonder what he was dreaming about that frightened him so badly."

Scabior wouldn't tell her what his nightmares were about. She already knew the sort of things he feared, and it wouldn't do him any good to tell her about the dragon that haunted his dreams when he was ill. All he could do was hope that it wouldn't come to that, that he wouldn't have to face the thing he feared most.

He shivered as he remembered those steel claws, glinting in the moonlight. He remembered how it felt when the dragon had him cornered, his own terrified expression reflected back at him on the surface of her claws. He was helpless, his own daughter laughing as the dragon prepared to rip his throat out and eat him alive.

'She wouldn't do tha to me,' Scabior thought, his hand reaching up as his fingers closed around his throat. He rubbed his neck, thinking about how much he wished he had an enchanted scarf, one that would prevent him from getting sick. He wondered if such enchantments really existed, then realized that those types of spells weren't real. If they were, people like Draconius would be out of work, and there would be no need for healers. Some preventive measures could be taken when it came to certain illnesses, but there was nothing he could take that would prevent the recurring throat infections that plagued him several times a year.

"Come on, sweetie," said Draconius, her gentle words breaking his train of thought. She wrapped her arm around him and helped lift him up onto his feet. "Let's get you back in bed. You'll feel better after you get some rest."

Melody moved aside as her father lay down in bed. Draconius made sure that Scabior was comfortable, then gave him a potion to help bring down his fever. This time Scabior took the potion without making a fuss, frowning in disgust as the bitter liquid touched his tongue and made him want to vomit. He swallowed the foul tasting concoction, then closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

He would try taking better care of himself, in hopes that in the future he might not get sick as often as he usually did. But only time would tell if his efforts were successful, or if the dragon would eventually catch him in the end.


	31. Enchanted Nightlight

Like most children, Melody was afraid of the dark. Her mother tried showing her that there was nothing to be afraid of, but Melody wasn't convinced. Who knew what kind of monsters might be lurking in the dark? This was the wizarding world, a world filled with hideous beasts and fire breathing dragons. Though chances were good there weren't any dragons in Melody's closet, or under the bed. A boggart maybe, but certainly not a dragon.

It was then that Draconius had an idea, and she conjured a glass lynx that resembled the plush feline Melody slept with at night. It was roughly the same size as her plush toy, and was made to look like a muggle tiffany lamp. But what made this lynx extra special was that it had a pink heart on its chest, and was wearing a plaid scarf around its neck.

The four year old blinked and looked at the little glass lynx. "It looks like daddy," she said, smiling at the adorable animal and its bright blue eyes.

"That's right sweetie. This is daddy in his animagus form." Draconius placed the glass lynx on top of the dresser and gave it a tap with her wand, causing the lynx to glow with a soft white light. The lynx's heart lit up too, shining in the darkness of the child's bedroom. "Now you have nothing to worry about, because daddy is always watching over you while you sleep."

"It's so pretty," said Melody, yawning as she clutched her plush kitty. She gazed at the miniature lynx on the dresser, relaxing in the subtle glow of its smiling face and twinkling eyes. Within minutes she was sound asleep, dreaming of a silver lynx trailing stardust in his wake, as she chased him across the heavens and over the moon.


	32. The Question

There comes a time in the life of every parent when their child asks the inevitable question - where do babies come from? Unfortunately, Scabior was the only one around when his four year old daughter decided to ask him that question.

Scabior nearly choked on his cereal when Melody asked him where babies come from. She was sitting next to him at the breakfast table, swinging her little feet as she looked up at him with a smile on her face. He looked at her, his lovely little girl, all smiles as she waited for an answer to her question.

He wiped the milk off his chin with a napkin, his mind racing as he tried to come up with an answer. "Well," he began hesitantly. "You see there's uh..." The words died in his throat. How on earth was he supposed to answer her question? He needed an idea, something simple and innocent that he could tell a four year old. What was that story muggles were always telling their children? Something about babies being born in a cabbage patch? Wasn't there a bird involved? A stork? A robin? No, maybe it was a flamingo.

"You see, Melody, when a mummy an daddy want to 'ave a baby, they place an order for one big, fat, squishy baby-to-go with a magic flamingo named Roo. This flamingo knows 'ow to cast a spell tha turns mandrakes into actual babies. You know wha mandrakes are, right?"

Melody had to think about this for a moment before answering. "That's the plant mummy uses in her potion. It looks like a baby and cries real loud, daddy."

"Tha's right." Scabior smiled and playfully ruffled his daughter's hair. Maybe this wouldn't be so difficult after all. "Now when Roo uses his magic, the plant turns into a real, live baby. 'E actually 'as a whole field full of mandrakes tha 'e changes into babies whenever a mummy an daddy send 'im a letter saying tha they want to 'ave a baby."

"So babies come from a mandrake field?" asked Melody.

"Tha's right, sweet'eart. Then the flamingo wraps them in a blanket an carries them to the mummy and daddy's 'ouse. An tha is 'ow we got you, Melody. We sent a letter to Roo on Christmas Eve. You arrived late, but you were still the best present we ever got."

A smile lit the little girl's face and she leapt into her father's arms. "Yay! I'm a Christmas present, daddy!"

Scabior chuckled, leaning back in his seat so there was room for her to sit in his lap.

Aside from the story about Roo and the mandrakes, what he told her wasn't far from the truth. Because even though Scabior wasn't sure about when she was conceived, he knew it was sometime in December during his first Christmas with Draconius, making her the most precious Christmas gift he ever received.


	33. Moments In Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Sumatranfox, and is an early Valentine's Day gift for my beloved foxy.

There comes a time in everyone's life when work creates distance between you and your significant other. Sometimes you have to work late, sometimes you're forced to travel long distances. Whatever the reason, Scabior and Draconius were no stranger to being separated due to work. Which is what made spending time together even more important because they knew they couldn't always see each other as often as they liked.

This time it was Draconius, working long hours during the holidays at St. Mungo's. She was exhausted by the time she came home, but that didn't stop her from engaging in some quality snuggle time with her husband before drifting off to sleep. Lucky for her Scabior was a night owl, and as long as she could make it home before one in the morning he was usually awake.

Scabior smiled as he saw her walk through the door. She sighed and let her cloak fall to the floor, not bothering to transfigure her clothing into her usual nighttime attire before laying down next to him in bed. He put his arm around her, watching her eyes close as a smile creased the corners of her lips. He was grateful for these moments they shared, moments in love when they could still be together at the end of the day. And in his arms all the stress from this morning's work dissolved into nothing, fading away as the moon rose above the clouds.

"I like being with you," Draconius murmured. "You have no idea how happy you make me."

She was half asleep as these words dribbled past her lips, her voice low and drowsy. There was a feeling of warmth spreading throughout her chest, like the feeling you get from drinking a cup of hot cocoa. It was soothing, filling her with a mixture of joy and contentment.

Within a few minutes she began to relax, her body submerged in peaceful slumber as Scabior chuckled and gently stroked her hair. He thought it was cute the way she kept muttering little things about how much she loved him, until her sentences dissolved into nonsense and she eventually fell asleep.

He held her close, feeling her breath on his cheek as her chest rose and fell with deep, easy breathing. There was no need to think about tomorrow, or what the day might hold. All that mattered was this moment that they shared, adrift in the calm serenity of the night.


	34. Aftermath Of Dressing Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was written for alyssialui, whose story Dress-Up from her Daddy's Little Girl collection inspired me to write this. This story can be read by itself, but will make more sense if you read Dress-Up first.

Draconius didn't know what she was expecting when her husband returned home from babysitting the Dark Lord's daughter. But whatever it was, she didn't expect him to return looking like this.

"Scabior?" she said, giving him a questioning look as she stood in the doorway with the front door open, staring at him. "What happened to you?"

Her husband had brightly colored ribbons woven into his hair, not to mention copious amounts of glitter that refused to come off no matter how many cleaning charms he cast on himself.

"Girl power, I suppose," said Scabior, a frown upon his face as his wife put a hand over her mouth, fighting not to burst out laughing right in front of him. "Tha's wha 'appened to me. Girl power, an a 'erd of unicorns with sparkly diarrhea tha shit magic sprinkles all over me."

That was too much, and Draconius started laughing, doubling over and falling onto her butt as Scabior pushed past her, muttering something about needing a drink as he walked into the living room. He'd just started tugging the chartreuse, royal blue and peach colored ribbons from his hair when he heard a small voice call his name.

He looked down and saw his four year daughter standing in front of him. She looked disgusted by his appearance, his face still smudged with blue and pink makeup that he'd tried to clean off before coming home.

"Daddy, what happened?" Melody asked. "Were you in an accident?"

"Melody," Scabior said slowly in a voice of forced calm. "Daddy's 'ad a very trying day, sweet'eart. An wha daddy really needs right now is an adult beverage. Now run along an go play with your toys like a good little girl, while daddy tries to clean the rest of this mess off 'is face."

"But you're so messy!" Melody cried.

Scabior sighed. He couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth, that her new best friend was responsible for the glitter and ribbons in his hair. He picked up his little girl, positioning her on his hip with his arm around her waist as he carried her into the kitchen.

His wife came in moments later, wiping tears from her eyes as Scabior sat Melody on the kitchen counter and summoned a bottle of firewhiskey from the pantry.

"Are you going to tell me what happened now, Scabior?" Draconius asked.

"No, I'm not," said Scabior, opening the bottle of firewhiskey and taking a drink. "You're no better than Lucius. The man nearly pissed 'imself when he saw 'ow I looked."

Melody crawled across the counter, reached up and started trying her best to untie the ribbons in her father's hair.

"You mean Lucius walked in on you while you were like this?" Draconius asked.

"No, 'e saw me when I looked worse than this, when I still 'ad all these multicolored fabrics wrapped around me." Scabior took another swig of firewhiskey before continuing. "But it's alright. I 'auled 'is arse in the room an let 'er give 'im a makeover too. An I do believe 'e looked worse than I did by the time she was finished with 'im."

Scabior winced as Melody tugged on a purple ribbon and pulled it out of his hair. Her hands were covered in glitter that had rubbed off on her as she removed the ribbons left behind by Cordelia. She kept going until she had removed all the ribbons from his hair, then picked up the washcloth by the sink, stuck it under the faucet, then slopped the cold water in Scabior's face as she attempted to clean him off.

Scabior had to bite back a swear as he felt the water pouring down his face and into his shirt, his wife laughing as Melody scrubbed his face with the dripping cloth.

"Hold still," said Melody, the cold water saturating her father's hair, leaving wet trails with clumps of glitter stuck to his neck and cheeks.

"Melody, don't," said Scabior, taking a step back, his hair dripping water onto the kitchen floor. "It's fine, pet. Daddy can clean 'imself, sweet'eart."

"It's a shame she doesn't act like that when she's covered in mud and grass stains from playing with you in the woods behind the house," said Draconius. "She always comes home filthy, tracking mud all over the house when you bring her inside, with leaves and twigs in her hair."

"But mummy, that's nature stuff," said Melody. "Daddy's dirty. There's a difference."


	35. Never Again

"Tuna again?" Draconius gave an exasperated sigh, looking down at the crackers spread with tuna and mayonaise on her husband's plate. "Honestly, Scabior. I swear if you eat any more fish, you're going to turn into one."

"Well, now there's a thought," said Scabior, placing a cracker in his mouth. "Imagine if someone's animagus form was a fish," he said around a mouthful of cracker and tuna. "Knowing my luck I'd turn into a fish, an then I'd get stuck like tha an you'd 'ave to run an drop me in the toilet."

"What?" Her jaw dropped at the notion of putting her husband in the toilet. "Why on earth would I want to put you in the toilet?"

"Because it would take too long to fill up the bathtub," Scabior replied, acting as though it were the obvious answer in the world.

Draconius rolled her eyes. "The only way you're ever going to get over this fish phase is if you eat so much of it that it makes you sick. That's what my mother used to say - you can never tell if you've had enough until you have too much."

"So wha then? You gonna go down to the market an get me something other than a few measly cans of tuna?" asked Scabior, sounding hopeful.

"Yes, I think I will. Maybe then I won't have to watch you eating bowls of rice and tuna, or tuna with mashed potatoes for dinner."

\----------------

The smell of fish assaulted her nostrils as she walked through the door, causing her to wrinkle her nose in disgust. She hated everything about visiting the local fish market, with their dead mackerel lined up in a row, their sightless eyes staring at the ceiling.

Draconius tugged on the front of her dress, using it as a mask to block the stink. She scanned the variety of fish, seeing baskets of shrimp, cans of sardines, rows of salmon, tuna and mackerel, and freshly caught lobster, some of them still crawling around their tank.

'Dear Merlin, if I feed him this stuff, he's going to come to bed smelling like fish,' she thought, reaching for a package of processed lobster meat. Draconius shuddered at the thought of her husband trying to kiss her with nasty fish breath, and placed a second package in her basket. 'Well, hopefully this will be the last of it. Just need to make sure he gets his belly full so I won't have to deal with this anymore.'

She returned home a short while later, with Scabior ready to pounce on her the moment she walked through the door.

Draconius couldn't help the smile the spread across her face, grinning as she pushed him aside so she could get through the door. "Honestly, Scabior," she said, walking inside and setting the bag of groceries on the kitchen table. "You're like a child whose mother brought him a shiny, new toy."

As promised, Draconius prepared a lovely meal of fresh lobster with lemon and tarter sauce. Scabior devoured every last morsel of food, asking for seconds and even thirds. And yet he couldn't seem to get his fill, eating everything and wanting more, telling her that she needed to purchase three packages next time. It wasn't until several hours later that he started feeling rather odd, his temperature rising as the evening progressed into the late hours of the night.

He leaned back in his chair, his feet on the table as he loosened his scarf with one hand while wiping the sweat off his face with the other. "Probably shouldn't be wearing this in the summer months anyway," he muttered.

He placed his scarf on the floor beside the chair, then leaned forward and continued sifting through the stack of paperwork on the table. A few minutes later and his jacket joined the pile of clothing on the floor, followed by his vest, socks, and the glove he wore on his left hand.

"It shouldn't be this 'ot in September," he muttered, fanning himself with a handful of papers in an attempt to cool off. He leaned forward across the table, his arms folded on the oaken surface, his eyes closing as he rested his cheek against his arm. A cool breeze was ruffling the curtains beside the table, but it did little to ease the heat that was radiating off his skin. "Maybe if I just rest," he said, his voice low and groggy. "A little nap until it's cooler outside..."

Consumed by fever and exhaustion, Scabior slept for over an hour before the feel of his wife's hand roused him from his slumber.

"Scabior," said Draconius, giving him a gentle nude. "Sweetie, you don't look so good. Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" Scabior blinked and lifted his head. A sheet of parchment was stuck to his cheek, clinging to him like one of those muggle post it notes.

Draconius peeled the parchment off his cheek, revealing a green rash that had spread from the side of his face down his neck and chest. She recoiled at the sight of the greenish discoloration of his skin, a low gasp slipping past her lips. "Scabior," she said at length. "I don't think that was lobster you had for dinner. I'm thinking it could have been something else."

Scabior's eyes were half closed by the time she finished her sentence, her words barely reaching him through the feverish haze that clouded his thoughts. He caught something about the lobster he ate, and felt his insides twist into an uncomfortable knot. The next thing he knew his wife was lifting up the front of his shirt, only to discover that the rash had spread to cover his chest and abdomen.

Draconius frowned. "I knew it. There must have been a mistake at the market."

"A mistake?" Scabior hadn't the slightest clue what she was talking about. Had someone poisoned him? Was he going to die from some terrible affliction? He looked at the rash on his belly then back at his wife, desperately trying to figure out what had happened. But the only thing his tired mind could come up with was that someone had slipped something in his food.

"Someone must have caught a mackled malaclaw and mistook it for a lobster," Draconius explained. "Malaclaws resemble lobsters, but they're unfit to eat, and anyone who eats them will come down with a nasty fever and develop a green rash." There was a slight pause, during which Scabior moaned softly and leaned against the back of the chair. "Come on," she said, putting her arm around him and helping him to his feet. "Let's get you into bed."

They were halfway up the stairs when Draconius heard him mutter something about never wanting to eat fish or seafood ever again.


	36. Enchanted Artwork

There was something special about raising a magical child and watching their drawings come to life. From blobs and scribbles that resembled birds and trees to the messy finger paintings Draconius hung on the wall, all of these images contained traces of magic. Enough to make her hastily drawn goldfish come to life, its misshapen form swimming from side to side across the parchment.

One morning Draconius decided to try something new, and gave her daughter a bowl containing an assortment of pasta. She also gave her some parchment, paints, glitter and a bottle of glue, then told her she could use them to make a picture.

Melody wasted no time getting started on her next art project. She used the paints to draw a series of squares on the parchment, then dribbled glue across the top of the page, sprinkled glitter on top, and finished by taking a handful of pasta wheels and sticking them to the bottom of the parchment.

She was covered in glitter when her mother entered the room, with bits of pasta stuck to her hands, her fingers slathered in glue. "Mummy, lookit!" she chirped, holding up her drawing.

Draconius watched as glitter spilled onto the floor when Melody picked up her drawing. She would have quite a bit of cleaning to do, thanks to her six year old artist. But for now she decided to ignore the mess and take a step closer, moving towards the table so she could see what Melody had drawn.

There on the parchment was an image of the Hogwarts Express, complete with moving wheels made from pasta, its smokestack belching clouds of pink and purple glitter as it moved across the parchment.

A smile tugged on the corners of her lips, and she put an arm around her daughter, hugging her and telling her what a beautiful picture she had made. It made her wonder what the future had in store for them, and what sort of things would happen once her daughter was old enough to go to school. From the looks of things, Melody was eager to go to Hogwarts and begin her education. But for now that day would have to wait, and in the meantime she would keep drawing and making enchanted works of art.


End file.
